On the morning of May 16, 2008, Aarushi Talwar, 14-year-old, was found murdered in her bedroom with her throat slit and a bludgeoned head. Family’s domestic help, Hemraj, was suspected of the murder. A day later, his body was found on the terrace of the Talwar residence.
The matter soon plunged to spotlight and garnered enough media attention. On October 12, 2017, Allahabad High Court reversed the life sentence and acquitted main convicts, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar.
Heres the timeline of events :
May 18: Noida police probed investigation; suspected murder done with a surgical instrument, insiders job suspected. Aarushis postmortem report ruled out ‘sexual assault’.
May 19: Police suspected former domestic help, Vishnu Sharma.
May 21: Delhi police joined the probe; suspects murder committed by a doctor or a butcher.
May 22: Police investigated with an angle of honour killing. Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, Aarushi’s parents, came under suspicion. Police quizzed Aarushi’s close friend.
May 23: Police arrested Rajesh Talwar on the charge of killing his daughter, Aarushi and domestic help, Hemraj.
June 1: CBI took over the case.
June 13: Krishna, domestic help of Talwars, arrested after a polygraph test and Narco analysis test.
June 19: Rajesh Talwar’s judicial custody extended up to July 2, 2008.
June 20: A second lie detector test conducted on Rajesh Talwar, after the first one was inconclusive.
June 25: A second lie detector test is conducted on Nupur Talwar, Aarushi’s mother, as first lie detector test was inconclusive.
June 26: Rajesh Talwar’s bail plea is refused by the special magistrate in Ghaziabad. CBI declared it as a blind case.
July 3: SC rejected plea that challenged the narco-analysis test conducted on the accused.
July 12: Ghaziabad Court gives bail to Rajesh Talwar.
Year 2009
February: Narco-Analysis test conducted on Rajesh Talwar.
December: CBI closes the case citing insufficient evidence. Talwars still remain prime suspects.
Year 2011
February 9: Court charges Aarushi’s parents with murder and destruction of evidence. Bailable warrants issued against them.
February 21: Couple approaches Allahabad High Court for quashing high court summons.
March 18: HC orders to initiate proceedings against Talwars after dismissing their plea to quash summon.
March 19: Talwars approaches the Supreme Court.
2012
January 6: SC dismisses the plea and allows proceedings.
June 11: Trial started before Special Judge S Lal.
April 30: Nupur Talwar, wife of Rajesh Talwar, was arrested.
May 25: Ghaziabad court charged Talwars with murder, conspiracy, and destruction of evidence.
September 25: Supreme Court ordered to release Nupur Talwar on bail.
2013
December: The Talwars convicted of double murder case and sentenced to life imprisonment by a special CBI court in Ghaziabad. Sent to Dasna jail.
2014
January 21: Talwars filed plea in Allahabad High Court against the CBIs life sentence.
2016
September 5: Nupur Talwar released on parole for three weeks after her ailing mother needed attention.
2017
January 11: Allahabad HC reserves judgement on life sentence.
October 12: Aarushi’s parents acquitted by Allahabad High Court.
After almost 10 years, the main accused are acquitted by the Allahabad High Court on the basis of same charge sheet on which they were once convicted on by the district court. The raises a series of questions here:
What compelled the district court to take a judgement on the charge sheet while AHC dismissed it saying lack of evidence?
Is District Court to be held contempt for passing a misjudgment?
After the release, what are we supposed to call those parents? Are the main accused or suspects or convicts? How are they suppose to survive in the society where their image were tainted by the Police, CBI, Court, and media?
And the biggest question: Who killed Aarushi and Hemraj?
