Ghaziabad:
A trial court in Ghaziabad today gave the dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar time till Friday to approach the Allahabad High Court to seek a stay on the recording of their statement in connection with the murder case of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj.
The Talwars, in their plea, had asked for seven days' time to approach the High Court. The next hearing in the case will be on Friday.
If the dentist couple fails to get a stay on the lower court's order to record their statement, their statement is likely to be recorded in a special CBI court in Ghaziabad from Friday onwards.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain the Talwars' petition seeking to summon 14 witnesses in the case. The top court had also taken strong exception to the Talwars directly challenging the trial court's order before it and had asked them to approach the High Court.
The trial court had on May 6 dismissed their petition for summoning 14 additional witnesses, including ADG (Law and Order) and the then CBI Joint Director Arun Kumar. It had ordered recording of statements of Rajesh and Nupur, who are the main accused.
The statement of CBI investigating officer AGL Kaul, the last prosecution witness, has already been recorded. In his deposition before the special court, Mr Kaul, who headed the CBI probe, had submitted that the agency's investigation had revealed no evidence of any third person's entry into the Talwar residence.
13-year-old Aarushi was found dead in bed with her throat slit on the morning of May 16, 2008. The police initially suspected a domestic help, Hemraj, who was missing. But hours later, Hemraj's body was found on the Talwars' terrace. Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were at home when Aarushi was killed.
Both have spent a few months in jail, Rajesh Talwar immediately after the murder in 2008 and mother Nupur, last year after she surrendered before the Ghaziabad court. Both are out on bail. Trial began in May last year.