Former DSP refutes CBI’s charge

Retired deputy superintendent of police KK Gautam came into spotlight when he found the body of Hemraj Banjade, a day after he was named suspect in the murder of Class 9 student Aarushi Talwar in May 2008. Abhishek Sharan reports.

Retired deputy superintendent of police KK Gautam came into spotlight when he found the body of Hemraj Banjade, a day after he was named suspect in the murder of Class 9 student Aarushi Talwar in May 2008.

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About 30 months later, 64-year-old Gautam is back in "news". The Central Bureau of Investigation, in its closure report of the Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case, has said the “recovery” of Banjade’s body was not a “coincidence”.

The report said Gautam acted at the behest of Aarushi’s uncle Dr Dinesh Talwar after the family could not provide the key to the terrace — where the body was found — to local police after Aarushi’s body was found. Narrating the sequence of events, the report said that on May 17, 2008, owner of a private hospital in Noida, Dr Sushil Chaudhary, called Gautam and insisted that the latter “accompany him” to the Talwars’ house.

At the house, Dinesh allegedly asked Gautam, to get the terrace door lock opened by police. Denying the allegation, Gautam said: “Dr Dinesh never told me to go to the terrace. It is I who asked for his permission to examine the scene of crime … and then found the trail of blood stains and drag marks.”