Ghaziabad:
The trial in the Aarushi Talwar murder case, that was set to begin today at the Special CBI Court in Ghaziabad, now stands delayed. The court has adjourned hearing in the case till February 29 after the counsel for Aarushi's parents, Rajesh Talwar and Nupur Talwar, made a request for adjournment, saying that the Supreme Court is hearing a plea filed by them for transfer of the trial to a court in Delhi.
The plea, that was filed yesterday, saw the Supreme Court issuing a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and seeking its reply within four weeks after the couple claimed that most of the witnesses were based in Delhi. Moreover, the duo contended that Rajesh Talwar had faced a hostile atmosphere in the Ghaziabad court where he was assaulted with a knife by a person in January 2011.
The court, while admitting their plea, said that the couple could file an appeal in the lower court for the adjournment of the case.
The Talwars did not appear in court today with their counsel citing threat to their safety as the reason for the duo skipping the appearance.
Last month, the Supreme Court had cleared the decks for the Talwars' trial, dismissing the couple's plea to quash criminal proceedings against them for the twin murders of their teenage daughter and their domestic help Hemraj in 2008.
A bench of justices A K Ganguly, who has since retired, and J S Khehar said that there was nothing wrong in the Ghaziabad court's order taking cognisance against them and putting them on trial.
Refusing to interfere with the lower court's order which had rejected CBI's closure report, the bench said the magistrate gave the ruling after applying his mind.
"We dismiss the appeal," the bench said while clarifying that its order would not prejudice the trial against the accused.
14-year-old Aarushi, the only daughter of the Talwars, was found dead with her throat slit at the family's residence in Noida on the intervening night of May 15-16, 2008 and the body of Hemraj was found on the terrace the next day.
The plea, that was filed yesterday, saw the Supreme Court issuing a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and seeking its reply within four weeks after the couple claimed that most of the witnesses were based in Delhi. Moreover, the duo contended that Rajesh Talwar had faced a hostile atmosphere in the Ghaziabad court where he was assaulted with a knife by a person in January 2011.
The court, while admitting their plea, said that the couple could file an appeal in the lower court for the adjournment of the case.
The Talwars did not appear in court today with their counsel citing threat to their safety as the reason for the duo skipping the appearance.
Last month, the Supreme Court had cleared the decks for the Talwars' trial, dismissing the couple's plea to quash criminal proceedings against them for the twin murders of their teenage daughter and their domestic help Hemraj in 2008.
A bench of justices A K Ganguly, who has since retired, and J S Khehar said that there was nothing wrong in the Ghaziabad court's order taking cognisance against them and putting them on trial.
Refusing to interfere with the lower court's order which had rejected CBI's closure report, the bench said the magistrate gave the ruling after applying his mind.
"We dismiss the appeal," the bench said while clarifying that its order would not prejudice the trial against the accused.
14-year-old Aarushi, the only daughter of the Talwars, was found dead with her throat slit at the family's residence in Noida on the intervening night of May 15-16, 2008 and the body of Hemraj was found on the terrace the next day.
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