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Aarushi case: Mayawati seeks CBI inquiry

Atiq Khan

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Thursday recommended a CBI inquiry into the murder of schoolgirl Aarushi Talwar and her domestic help Hemraj on the intervening night of May 15 and 16.

The Chief Minister said a letter containing the request was being sent to the Centre.

The girl’s father, Rajesh Talwar, a dentist, was arrested by the Noida police last week for his alleged involvement in the double murder. Currently in police custody, Dr. Talwar’s remand period expires on Friday.

Ms. Mayawati said the Talwar family had lost faith in the police investigation. The Chief Minister assured the family that no innocent person would be punished and strict action taken if evidence was found that the police had goofed up.

The police have been drawing flak for the allegedly dubious nature of investigation. There has also been outrage against the insinuations made by the police on the minor girl’s character.

Ms. Mayawati said on the basis of interrogation and material from the CPU of Aarushi’s computer, police had gathered “evidence” of a “very important and serious” nature. The evidence was submitted to the Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) court on Thursday.

“UPA politicising issue”

The Chief Minister accused the Congress-led UPA Government of politicising the issue. In an obvious reference to the statement of Union Minister for Child and Women’s Welfare Renuka Chowdhary, Ms. Mayawati said it appeared that the Congress had little sympathy for the family and was interested more in playing politics. She said more serious crimes had occurred in Delhi and other Congress-ruled states.

(Ms. Chowdhary told newspersons in New Delhi on Wednesday: “We take strong objection to the language that has been used to describe the murder. I have strong reservations about Aarushi’s character assassination. The police people need to be sensitised.” She said officials had been asked to find if the police violated laws meant for protection of minors by their public disclosure of an alleged liaison between the girl and Hemraj.)

Ms. Mayawati warned the Congress that if it failed to change its ‘attitude’, Bahujan Samaj Party ministers would also speak against the crimes in Congress-ruled states. She urged the Congress leaders to rise above ‘party politics’ and help the State government in nabbing the culprits.

She criticised the National Council for Women and Child Welfare for sending a notice to the State Director-General of Police without knowing the facts of the case.

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