Source-Ramani's blog
Aarushi Talwar, about to turn 14 years old, was discovered dead in her bedroom on May 16, 2008, in Jalvayu Vihar, Noida. She had her throat cut and her head bashed in. Hemraj Banjade, a live-in domestic helper for the family, was thought to be the main suspect in the killing, however, a day later, Hemraj (age 45), was discovered dead on the terrace of the same apartment. He had injuries to his head, as well as having his neck sliced. His body was covered in wounds, and the entrance to the terrace was locked from the inside.
According to Noida Police, the twin killings were carried out with "surgical perfection" and were likely the result of an inside job. Vishnu Sharma, a former nanny for the Talwars, was initially mentioned as a suspect in the case. Delhi Police soon joined the investigation.
Parent’s Involvement
Six days after Aarushi's body was discovered, authorities began to suspect an honour killing, and Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, both dentists, were questioned. Rajesh, according to the Noida Police, killed both victims after he discovered Aarushi and Hemraj in an "objectionable" situation. However, no tangible or forensic evidence was offered to support the claim.
Rajesh Talwar was detained for the double homicide on May 23, 2008. The case was turned over to the CBI as it became a topic of discussion in households due to conflicting public opinion over who killed Aarushi.
An employee at Rajesh's clinic in Noida named Krishna Thadaraj was detained by the CBI on June 13. Rajesh Talwar underwent a lie detector exam on June 20 by the CBI. Nupur Talwar, Aarushi's mother, underwent a second lie detector test five days later after the first one proved to be inconclusive. Rajesh Talwar was released from prison on bail on July 12 after nearly two months behind bars.
The Talwars were subjected to narco-analysis tests as the investigation went on. CBI presented a closure report in December 2010 citing "insufficient evidence." The CBI declared Rajesh Talwar to be the main suspect, clearing the housekeepers. However, the CBI decided not to charge him due to a lack of evidence. The judge ruled that the case could not be resolved.
The Talwars were found guilty of killings and the destruction of evidence by CBI judge Shyam Lal on November 25, 2013. The judge stated, "The parents are the best protectors of their children and that is the order of human nature, but they have been freaks in the history of mankind when the father and mother became the killers of their kids.
Case Under CBI
After receiving harsh criticism for its investigation into the double murder case, the Central Bureau of Investigation took over the case.
The CBI took over the investigation after the case was handed over, clearing the parents while indicting the Talwars' aide Krishna Thadarai and two domestic helpers, Rajkumar and Vijay Mandal.
The CBI believed the three men had killed Aarushi after an attempted sexual assault and Hemraj for becoming a witness based on the "narco" interrogation they had undergone. The CBI was charged with utilising questionable tactics to obtain a confession, and all three individuals were freed due to a lack of proof.
A special CBI court found Rajesh and Nupur Talwar guilty of the two murders on November 25, 2013. The couple was found guilty of murder, destroying evidence, deceiving the investigation, and filing a false police report by Special Judge Shyam Lal. For the twin murders, they received a life sentence on November 26, 2013.
The Talwar family criticised the decision as a miscarriage of justice and said that the CBI failed to provide evidence in court that would have demonstrated Rajesh and Nupur's innocence.
According to journalist Avirook Sen, the judge allegedly wrote the case judgement before the defence team had finished its arguments. The Talwars appealed the judgement to the Allahabad High Court in January 2014.
The Movie Based On The Case
Even though the lawsuit is still pending, the Hindi film industry has continued to produce films on it during the intervening years.
Talvar, which came out in October 2015, and Rahasya, which came out in January 2015, are the two movies about the Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case.
Both movies made an effort to modify the story following how the directors saw it. Naturally, neither of the two movies could display a resolution. The films with open endings tended to concentrate on the Talwars' suffering and attempted to reproduce the circumstances that would have prompted a couple to kill their child.
Talvar, starring Irrfan and Konkona Sensharma, examined the issue from several angles, with director Meghna Gulzar doing her utmost to strike a balance. Talvar, however, was immediately criticised for its obliquely classist ending and found itself in the centre of a maelstrom shortly after its release.
The movie did sway the audience's sympathy toward the parents of the slain child by meticulously and painstakingly demonstrating how the entire investigation was flawed from the start.
Crime scene ko machhli bazaar banake rakkha hai! yells Irrfan's character Ashwin, the reluctant CBI officer who receives the case, at one point in the movie.
The Bottom Line
Even after so many investigations, the case remains unsolved.
Written by - Hanshu Varandani
0 Comments