The Allahabad High Court on Thursday acquitted dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in the murder of their teenaged daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj by giving them the benefit of the doubt, but left questions unanswered on who killed them.
A bench of Justice B.K. Narayana and Justice A.K. Mishra acquitted the couple for the murder of 14-year-old Aarushi Talwar at her Jalvayu Vihar home in Noida on May 16, 2008.
Their lawyer Rebecca John said the evidence presented by the CBI "did not stand judicial scrutiny and that is the end of it".
Pinaki Misra, another defence counsel, said the CBI court judgment was "absolutely perverse and the High Court has set it aside correctly".
After a Special CBI Court in Ghaziabad convicted them for the murders in 2013 and handed them life terms, the Talwars appealed in the Allahabad High Court against the verdict.
The Talwars were lodged in Dasna jail in Ghaziabad district ever since their 2013 conviction.
Another defence lawyer Tanveer Ahmad said they were awaiting a copy of the detailed court order and expected Rajesh and Nupur Talwar to be out of prison anytime on Friday.
Aarushi was found murdered in her bedroom, following which Hemraj was initially a suspect. However, his body too was found in a pool of blood a day later on the terrace of the house.
The UP Police accused Rajesh Talwar of killing his daughter in a fit of rage after he allegedly found Aarushi in a compromising situation with Hemraj. Rajesh Talwar was arrested on May 23, 2008.
On May 31, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case. It initially absolved the parents of conspiracy and murder but later held them responsible.
On June 13, Rajesh Talwar's compounder Krishna was arrested by the CBI. Ten days later, Raj Kumar, a servant of a doctor friend of the Talwars, and Vijay Mandal, the domestic help of the Talwars' neighbour, were also nabbed.
The three were later freed after no evidence was found against them.
Festival of democracy enters second leg with 88 Lok Sabha seats across India set to vote
While 89 constituencies were slated to go to polls in the second phase, as per the initial announcement by the Election Commission, voting in Madhya Pradesh's Betul was advanced to the third phase on May 7 following the death of the BSP candidate in the fray.
Tripura BJP issues show-cause notice to party leader for slamming TMP chief Pradyot Debbarma
A day before the second phase of Lok Sabha elections, the ruling BJP in Tripura on Thursday served a show cause-notice to one of the party’s Vice-Presidents, Patal Kanya Jamatia, who accused Tipra Motha Party (TMP) chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma of “spreading hatred” among tribals and non-tribals in the state.
PM Modi ups ante against Congress, says Rajiv Gandhi abolished inheritance law to 'save own interests'
Upping the ante against the Congress on the 'inheritance tax' issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched another scathing attack on the grand old party, saying it was former PM Rajiv Gandhi who abolished the inheritance law "to save their own interests" after the demise of his mother Indira Gandhi.
Multi-cornered contest in Tripura East LS seat going to polls on Friday
A multi-cornered contest will be witnessed in the Tripura East Lok Sabha seat, which goes to the polls in the second phase of the 7-phase parliamentary elections on Friday.
Credit card data of 17K ICICI Bank users exposed; bank blocks cards, assures compensation
After credit card data of at least 17,000 new ICICI Bank customers was exposed and reached "wrong users", the bank said on Thursday that it has blocked these cards and is issuing new ones to the customers.
TRIPURA: BSF jawan on election duty dies after rifle accidently goes off
In a tragic incident amid the preparation for the second phase of polling in Tripura, a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan, who was engaged in election duty died after his rifle went off accidentally.
13.96 lakh voters to cast vote in 1664 Polling stations tomorrow
Although nine candidates are in the fray in the Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency, the main battle will be mainly between BJP candidate Kirit Singh Debbarma and CPIM candidate Rajendra Reang.
CM leads campaign with vigor, Completes 30 rallies, 18 road shows covering over 6,000 km
Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha vigorously campaigned for BJP candidates in the Lok Sabha elections & Bidhan Sabha by-election, participating in 30 public rallies, 18 road shows, and 7 padyatras.