Court to decide on Jan 7 on CBI closure report in Aarushi case

Court to decide on Jan 7 on CBI closure report in Aarushi case 

A Special Court on Monday dismissed the plea by Aarushi Talwar's parents not to close the double murder case saying it was "not maintainable" at this stage but asked CBI what was the "hurry" in filing the closure report.

Special Judge Preeti Singh also fixed January seven as the next date of hearing for examining CBI's controversial closure report which was also registered in the court.

The judge while hearing the CBI plea to accept the closure report filed in the two-and-a-half year case of murder of Aarushi and her domestic help Hemraj on the intervening night of May 15 and 16, 2008, directed the investigating officer to come with the case diary on January seven.

As the matter came up for hearing in forenoon before the court, the Special Judicial Magistrate asked CBI counsel A K Saini about the hurry on the part of the investigating agency to close the investigations in the case that shook the nation.

"What was the hurry (in filing a closure report)? Where are the documents (annexures) of the closure report?" the court asked the CBI to which the agency counsel informed the court that "our (CBI) process is that we file closure report when a decision in this regard is taken."

Apparently convinced with the reply, the Judge took note of the report and told the counsel that "...now the court will give the time to the investigating officer to submit the annexures of the closure report."

The judge also read the application of Aarushi's dentist parents -Rajesh and Nupur opposing the CBI's move for closing the case but rejected the same saying that their plea was not "maintainable" at this stage and asked them to appear before the court on January seven.

The Talwar's application has stated "it's a heinous case" and in the "interest of justice" should not be closed.

The CBI had on 29th December filed a report to end the probe in the murder case of Aarushi and Hemraj clearing the names of three servants -Raj Kumar, Krishna and Vijay Mandal.

But the needle of suspicion pointed towards the father -Rajesh Talwar whom the agency named as a suspect who could not be chargesheeted because of "insufficient evidence".

Before the court began hearing the case, Rajesh told reporters that "We want the case to be reopened. It is our request that our daughter should get justice."

Rajesh and Nupur had earlier lashed out at the CBI for making "false and baseless" allegations against them.

"By this closure report all I can say is that the CBI has condemned us for life. They have put all kinds of false allegations upon us without any evidence. This has been a completely shocking thing for us," Nupur had said.

Teenager Aarushi was found murdered with her throat slit at the Talwar's residence in Noida near Delhi on the morning of 16th May, 2008.

The body of Hemraj was found on the terrace the next day.

The CBI has raised doubts over the role of the dentist couple in the case but said there was insufficient evidence against Rajesh for it to file a chargesheet as it could not zero in on any motive.