CBI begins trial with 3 prosecution witnesses

A day after the Supreme Court dismissed Nupur Talwar's review petition, trial in the Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case began at Ghaziabad's Sessions Court on Friday, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) producing three prosecution witnesses for statements.

A day after the Supreme Court dismissed Nupur Talwar's review petition, trial in the Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case began at Ghaziabad's Sessions Court on Friday, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) producing three prosecution witnesses for statements. Two of the three witnesses were also cross-examined by Talwars' lawyers.

HT Image

The three witnesses produced by the CBI were Rajesh Kumar from the electricity department of Noida, Constable Chunni Lal Gautam - a photographer from the Uttar Pradesh Police and fingerprint expert AD Sah from Central Forensic Science Laboratory.

The electricity department official, who appeared before the court, stated that there

was no electricity failure or power shutdown from 6pm on May 15, 2008, to 7am on May 16, 2008, in the area where the Talwars lived. This was the time when the double murders took place.

The CBI in its closure report had stated an unusual router activity and had said that it was switched off at 3.43am and turned on again at 6am the next day. However, the same activity was witnessed with the router even on May 16, 2008, when relatives and police officials were present at Talwars' residence.

The other witness, Gautam, appeared before the court to explain the contents of the photographs which were taken by him from the scene of crime. The CBI had put on record 23 photographs from the scene of crime during its investigation.

In his statements, Gautam stated that Aarushi's body was covered with a white sheet and that the bedsheet had no creases. Also, the toys kept on the bed had no blood marks.

The CBI in its closure report had maintained that the scene of crime was found heavily dressed up.

The third witness, Sah, deposed before the court to explain the fingerprints that were lifted from the scene of crime. He stated that the Ballentine scotch bottle, which was seized from the residence, had five latent fingerprints.

Defense lawyer Manoj Shishodia said that none of these fingerprints found on the bottle matched with the fingerprints of the Talwars and claimed that there was no blood found on the bottle as per Sah's statements. CBI claimed that the bottle had blood of both the victims.

The court further adjourned the hearing for June 21.