Rajesh and Nupur Talwar walked out of the district prison here on Monday evening.
Incarcerated for a little over three years and ten months for the alleged murders of their teenaged daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj back in 2008, the dentist couple were acquitted by the Allahabad High Court last week.
As they took their first steps to freedom, they turned emotional for a few moments as they clasped the arm of Mr. Talwar’s brother, Dinesh.
According to prison sources, their release order was delivered to the Dasna District Prison around 4.30 p.m. following which other formalities, such as filing security bonds, were undertaken.
A hurried exit
Dinesh drove up to the prison with their legal counsel, Tanveer Ahmed Mir, a little after 5.45 p.m.
Precisely 11 minutes later, the Talwars emerged from the prison gate to manage a hurried exit wading through a media contingent under police protection, slip inside a silver sedan and drive off.
“Nothing can make us happier. This wouldn’t have been possible without Dinesh Talwar and Rajesh’s and Nupur’s steadfast belief in their innocence,” Mr. Mir said.
“Fighting the CBI and public perception was a Herculean task; they (Rajesh and Nupur) hugged and cried when they were convicted in 2013. I had promised them justice and we are glad we got a clean chit. But unfortunately the case became tabloid gold,” he said.
‘Respect their privacy’
Mr. Mir requested that the media respect the couple’s privacy and stated that the future course of action, in relation to the case, was now up to the Talwars.
They have promised to keep visiting the jail to treat patients for dental ailments every fortnight.
The surety bonds for the Talwars, amounting to ₹one lakh each, were filed by Mr. Talwar’s father-in-law BG Chitnis and mother-in-law Laita Chitnis at the Ghaziabad special CBI court for him and brother-in-law Dinesh Talwar and someone named Arun Mittal, for Ms. Talwar who, according to a source, was presented a hamper of jail products as a memento. No farewell ceremony of any kind was accorded to the dentist couple.
An hour later and under heavy police escort, the couple reached Ms. Talwar’s parents' residence at Jal Vayu Vihar in Noida’s sector 25.
Save a folded hand acknowledgement of the media after they stepped out of the Dasna District Jail, the couple did not utter a single word to the media.
