New Delhi:
In a crucial hearing in the Aarushi Talwar-Hemraj double murder case today, a Ghaziabad court has reserved its orders on whether the trial against Aarushi's parents, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, can proceed further.
For the past few weeks the court has been recording statements of the parents, who have been accused in the murder case. Based on the over 800 questions put forth to the couple, the court is meant to take a view whether a case stands against them.
On May 28, the Supreme Court had rejected a plea by Rajesh and Nupur Talwar seeking to summon 14 witnesses, including former CBI official Arun Kumar, in the trial.
Mr Talwar wanted the trial court to summon the 14 people who the CBI had dropped as prosecution witnesses so that his lawyer could cross examine them.
"Once again the Supreme Court declined to interfere on a petition filed by Mr Talwar. They have approached that certain witnesses have to be called as court witnesses but it was rejected. The court said the Talwars can summon them as defence witnesses," said CBI's counsel, Rajiv Nanda.
Earlier this month the Supreme Court had declined to hear the plea by the dentist couple, who are both accused in the double murder, and took objection to their approaching the court bypassing the Allahabad High Court. The Talwars' petition seeking re-examination of the witnesses has been rejected by the special CBI court where the case is being tried and the Allahabad High Court.
14-year-old Aarushi was found brutally murdered in the Talwars' Noida residence on May 16, 2008. The body of their domestic help Hemraj was found the next day from the terrace of the house. (
See special feature: India's unsolved mystery)
According to the CBI, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar are the main accused in the double murder. The agency claimed there was no evidence of any third person entering the Talwars' premises on the night of the crime.