CBI investigating officer asked to present Aarushi case diary

January 7 fixed as the next date for hearing on closure report

A designated Ghaziabad court on Monday fixed January 7 as the next date for hearing on the closure report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case, directing the investigating officer to come with the case diary.

When the hearing began, the court asked CBI counsel what was the hurry in filing the closure report and where were the annexure documents. Counsel submitted that the agency followed the process of filing a closure report when a decision was taken in that regard. The closure report was filed on December 29 when the court was in recess.

Special Judicial Magistrate Preeti Singh said: “The closure report has been registered. Now the court will give time to the investigating officer to submit annexures of the report.”

The judge also heard the application of the Talwar couple against the closure of the case, pleading that it should not be closed in the interest of justice. But the judge did not take it up, stating that it was not maintainable at this stage. The court asked them to appear before it on the next date of hearing. The couple, through their counsel, will also seek a copy of the complete closure report on January 7.

Rajesh Talwar, who was accompanied by his wife Nupur, earlier told the media that the case should not be closed. “Our daughter should get justice.”

The CBI has filed the closure report pleading insufficient evidence. According to the report, the probe findings revealed several circumstances that indicated the involvement of Aarushi's parents in the crime and the “cover up.” However, it concedes that there are many crucial gaps that make it difficult to reconstruct the sequence of events and establish the motive behind the brutal murders.

The report alleges that the scene of crime was “heavily dressed up.” Citing examples, it purportedly states that Aarushi's body was covered with a white bed-sheet; the bed linen was found undisturbed; Hemraj's body was dragged to a corner of the terrace and covered with a cooler panel; the door to the terrace was locked for the first time on the fateful night; efforts were made to wipe off bloodstains/drag marks from the staircase.

It also mentions that a scotch bottle found on the dining table had blood of both the victims, indicating the involvement of the inmates, as it was unlikely that an intruder would return to the flat to take liquor after committing two murders.

Also, the report alleges that surgical cuts on the victims' necks were the work of professionally trained experts.

The entire data on Aarushi's mobile phone had been deleted. It also points out that when the Noida police went to the crime scene on May 16, 2008, they were immediately sent by the parents to search for Hemraj.

According to the report, the golf club suspected to have been used to commit the murders was earlier found missing. It was detected by Aarushi's parents later, but not intimated to anyone for almost a year.

However, the CBI has not come across any substantial evidence to charge-sheet anyone in the case.