CBI wants five more days with Talwar

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) move an application in the court, seeking five days’ further remand of Rajesh Talwar. Peeyush Khandelwal reports. See graphic

As Dr Rajesh Talwar stood in the jam-packed courtroom, he appeared oblivious to his surroundings. Dressed in a white kurta pyjama, he remained quiet throughout the proceedings.

HT Image

Talwar was brought to a Ghaziabad court at around 2:30 pm from its rear gate. In January 2007, an angry crowd had beaten up Nithari case accused Moninder Singh Pandher inside the same court complex.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) moved an application in the court, seeking five days’ further remand of Rajesh Talwar. Defence lawyer Satish Tamta challenged the application and said the apparent reasons cited could not be justified as investigations could also be carried out in the prison complex.

He also demanded that the CBI reveal the outcome of its investigations carried out over the past 24 hours as the earlier police remand for three days did not lead to any conclusive facts. “The defence is cooperating in the investigations and did not insist on the presence of a lawyer with Rajesh Talwar during the one-day CBI investigations carried out at the CBI headquarters in Delhi. Nothing material could be found out by the CBI during the investigations,” said Tamta.

The court also allowed for the presence of a defence lawyer during the investigations, if the accused wished so, provided the lawyer remain at a distance of at least 100meters and should not interfere with the ongoing investigations. If any recovery is made during the remand duration, it is to be made in the presence of an independent witness, the court ordered.

There was no separate application moved by the CBI for brain-mapping, narco-analysis and lie-detector tests though sources said they might seek the tests to be conducted on him at a later date. “The CBI will have to move a separate application if they wish to go for these tests on the accused. We do not object to the tests if required. We will fully cooperate in this matter provided the health condition of Rajesh Talwar is kept in mind.”