New Delhi/Ghaziabad:
A judge in Ghaziabad is expected to give his verdict on Nupur Talwar's request for bail after lunch today. Mrs Talwar, who is accused along with husband Rajesh of the double murder of their only child Aarushi and their domestic help, is not present in court.
She is lodged at Barrack No 13 of the nearby Dasna Jail, where Rajesh, Nupur's mother and two other members of her family met her for 27 minutes a short while ago. After they left, she was seen reading the Gita, which she had borrowed from the jail library.
(Who is Nupur Talwar?)Yesterday, Nupur's application for bail was moved to the CBI court headed by Judge S Lal after another court rejected her lawyers' arguments. The court that turned her down - a CBI court- is headed by Judge Preeti Singh, who ordered in February last year that the Talwars must stand trial for the murders of 13-year-old Aarushi and Hemraj, who worked for the Talwars. The dentist couple has appealed against this decision in the Supreme Court, which has refused to suspend the trial while it deliberates the appeal.
In the jail today, Mrs Talwar rose early at 5.30 am and then bathed and spent some time in prayer, reciting lines from the Hanuman Chalisa. She then lined up with prisoners to be counted. Breakfast was tea, jaggery and roasted gram. The jail authorities said she also read the newspapers and asked for some books, including the Gita, which was issued to her when the prison library opened.
Aarushi was found dead in the Talwars' home in Noida, a Delhi suburb, in May 2008. Hemraj was missing and became the main suspect. But hours later, his body was discovered on the Talwars' roof. Rajesh Talwar was then arrested. The case was transferred to the CBI after gross negligence by the Noida police. The CBI decided that there was not enough evidence against Mr Talwar, who spent nearly two months at the same Dasna jail where his wife was kept last night.
Mr Talwar was released from prison and four men who worked for the Talwars and their neighbours were then arrested. But the CBI could not find conclusive evidence against them either and they were also released from prison.
Mrs Talwar was seen with her head bowed when she arrived at jail at around 6 pm yesterday, jail superintendent Veeresh Raj Sharma said. A few hours of watching TV with other women inmates and a discussion with them about the Aarushi case saw her relax a little, he said. Mrs Talwar reportedly told the other prisoners that she was innocent and would prove that in court.
The prison authorities made it clear yesterday that Mrs Talwar's stay at Dasna Jail will not afford her any special concessions. She will have access to a television set, newspapers and books.