The Hindu : Front Page : Questions still remain in Noida case

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Saturday, May 24, 2008
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Questions still remain in Noida case

Atiq Khan

Aarushi’s father ‘confesses’ to crime

Rajesh Talwar

LUCKNOW: The police on Friday cracked the Noida double murder case in which teenager Aarushi Talwar and her domestic help, Hemraj, were killed. The girl’s father, Rajesh Talwar, who reportedly confessed to the crime, has been arrested. However, many questions on the motive of the crime remain unanswered.

According to the Additional Director-General of Police, Law and Order, Brij Lal, Dr. Talwar, a dentist, was arrested at 12 noon from near the Sector 21 temple in Noida.

He said the domestic help was first struck senseless with a hammer and a surgeon’s knife used to slit open his throat.

After committing this murder on the roof of his residence, the medico came down, went to his daughter’s bedroom and carried out the second murder in similar fashion. Aarushi was asleep at the time of her killing, Mr. Lal said.

He said the twin murders were executed after midnight on May 15 and there was a difference of about 30 minutes between the first and second killing. In the intervening period, Dr. Talwar had a couple of drinks.

Dr. Talwar’s wife, Nupur Talwar, was asleep when the murders took place.

The hammer and the surgeon’s knife have not been recovered. On the visit to Hardwar by a team of the Noida police on Thursday, the ADGP said it was a matter of investigation and nothing can be disclosed.

Two theories

The sex angle figured prominently in the possible motive. Mr. Lal had two theories on the provocation. One was Dr. Talwar’s alleged extra-marital affair with the wife of a friend and colleague in the Fortis Hospital.

The ADGP told newspersons that Dr. Talwar used to bring his lover to his residence when his wife was away.

The dentist’s affair was objected to by his daughter and eventually the domestic help and other servants in his household and clinic came to know about it.

According to the police official, the accused was perturbed that his secret had been discovered. Asked whether the wife was aware, the official said this was being investigated.

‘Life in danger’

Since Aarushi and Hemraj were privy to the dentist’s affair, the two became friendly. Their intimacy was not liked by Dr. Talwar, Mr. Lal added. This was another motive for the crime. Hemraj had told another servant that his life was in danger.

On the night of the crime Dr. Talwar first surfed the internet and made a phone call to the U.S. before going straight to Hemraj’s quarters situated on the roof. He took a hammer and a surgeon’s knife with him. Not finding him there, the dentist went to his daughter’s room and came upon Aarushi and Hemraj in a compromising position, Mr. Lal said.

The accused thereafter took the domestic help to the roof and killed him before murdering his teenaged daughter.

The ADGP said the girl’s mother went to sleep at around 11 p.m. and was thus unaware of the crime. Mr. Lal said it was a planned murder with the intention of killing Hemraj only but Aarushi was killed to wipe out the witness to the crime.

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