Talwars' no show in court; warrants issued

Even as Aarushi Talwar's parents sought exemption from personal appearance in court, a CBI special judicial magistrate (SJM) court on Monday issued bailable warrants against them. Peeyush Khandelwal reports. Timeline | Claims and counterclaims

Even as Aarushi Talwar's parents sought exemption from personal appearance in court, a CBI special judicial magistrate (SJM) court on Monday issued bailable warrants against them.

HT Image

The dentist couple had failed to appear before the court in compliance with its summons issued on February 9.

Asked to appear in court in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case, Dr Nupur Talwar sought exemption on the ground that she was present in Allahabad for signing court documents and that her criminal revision petition was pending at the Allahabad high court against the SJM's summon orders.

Dr Rajesh Talwar sought exemption on medical grounds and stated that he was under treatment for injuries suffered on his face and hands after being attacked inside the Ghaziabad court complex by Utsav Sharma on January 25.

Meanwhile, CBI SJM Priti Singh rejected both the applications and ordered the dentist couple to furnish a bond of Rs 20,000 each, for their appearance on March 22 - the next date of hearing.

As per the SJM's February 9 orders, the Talwar couple stand accused under sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 34 (acts with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

The action came after the SJM exercised her judicial powers and took cognisance of the CBI's final report, which indicated a bunch of circumstantial evidence against the dentist-couple in the double murder case.

The Talwars' teenaged daughter Aarushi Talwar and domestic help Hemraj Banjade were found murdered in May 2008 at their Jalvayu Vihar residence in Noida.

The case has been under constant media scrutiny.