CBI opposes Talwars’ transfer plea

Opposing Nupur and Rajesh Talwar’s transfer petition in Supreme Court (SC), the CBI on Tuesday claimed there were “some hidden motives” behind the dentist couple’s plea.

Opposing Nupur and Rajesh Talwar’s transfer petition in Supreme Court (SC), the CBI on Tuesday claimed there were “some hidden motives” behind the dentist couple’s plea.

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Aarushi’s parents, the Talwars have sought transfer of their daughter’s murder case from Ghaziabad to Delhi. The couple has to appear before the special CBI court that summoned them as accused in the double murder case. They want the case to be transferred to Delhi on the ground that their lives were in danger.

Additional solicitor general and CBI counsel Haren Rawal submitted before a bench headed by Justice BS Chauhan that the couple probably did not want to appear in the lower court at Ghaziabad as there was no provision of anticipatory bail in Uttar Pradesh. Rawal hinted that Talwars wanted to avoid the possibility of being arrested.

Rawal also assured the bench that CBI would provide the couple adequate police protection.

The bench asked Rawal to file an affidavit by Thursday and fixed February 27 to hear the transfer petition.

On February 3, the SC had issued a notice to CBI on Talwars’ transfer petition. The couple has claimed most of the witnesses were Delhi-based and that the atmosphere in Ghaziabad was hostile as Rajesh was attacked there in January.

On January 6, this year the SC had cleared the decks for the couple’s trial by dismissing Nupur’s appeal challenging the summons issued against her.

Aarushi was found dead at the family’s Noida residence on the intervening night of May 15-16, 2008. The body of their servant, Hemraj, was found the next day on the terrace.