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AarushiTalwar,14,andHemraj,40,aNepalicitizen,weremurderedonthenightof15May2008,betweenmidnightand1am.Fouryearslater,themurdertrialisfinallyduetostart.ThishashappeneddespitetheCBIarrivingatnofinalconclusionsaftertwoyearsofinvestigatingthecase.TheCBIclosurereportthatledtothetrialobservedthattheagencywasseekingclosureofthecasebecausetherewerecriticalandsubstantialgapsinthecircumstantialevidencecollectedandanabsenceofaclearcutmotiveandincompleteunderstandingofthesequenceofevents.Aarushisparents,NupurandRajeshTalwar,opposedtheCBIsmove.InFebruarylastyear,aspecialCBIcourtagreedtotheirpleathattherewasenoughevidenceforameaningfultrial.ThecourtmadetheCBIclosurereportthebasisforachargesheet,butthedecisioncamewithariderAarushismurdercasewouldbetriedwithherparents,NupurandRajesh,asthemainaccused.

Fromtheverybeginning,thecasehasneverbeenshortofmediaattention,anddifferingperceptionsofthecasehavearousedstrongpassionsandopinions.Twodifferinghumanemotionshavecometogethertocreatethisinterest:oneisgriefatayounggirlstragicdeathandincredulitythatherparentscouldevenbethoughttobeinvolvedinthemurder.Forsome,thisisinconceivable,itgoesagainsttheirconceptionofhumannatureforothers,itistheonlyexplanationthatseemstofitthefacts.Itisanothermatterthatinboththesenarratives,themurderofHemraj,andthestoryofthedomesticstaffonceaccusedofthecrimebecomeonlyanappendagetothemainstory.

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Theotheristhebafflingnatureofthecircumstancessurroundingthemurders.Itisawhodunnitliftedoutofthemostclassicmurdermysteryalockedhouseholdandnosignsofaforcedentry.Addtothistheconstantandrepeatedbunglingbythepoliceandclearattemptstotamperwithevidencebypeoplewhoseroleshavenotbeenfullyinvestigatedorexplained,andweareleftwithapuzzlethatdefiesanyeasysolution.Muchhasbeenwrittenaboutthecase,butinthedetailsthathavebeenarguedoverandexaminedinthemedia,theoverallpictureremainsfuzzy.Weattempttogivetheclearestpictureyetofwhatexactlywasfoundonthemorningofthemurderandthequestionsthatstillremainunanswered.

Onthemorningafterthemurders,16May2008,at6am,themaid,Bharati,aswasherdailyroutine,rangthedoorbelltotheTalwarssecondfloorapartment.Twodoorsattheentrance,anironmeshdoorfollowedbyawoodendoor,separatedbyapassage,ledtothehouse.BharatiwassurprisedtoseetheTalwarsopeningthewoodendoorastheywerelaterisers.ItwasHemrajwhowouldalwaysletherin,buttodaytheironmeshdoorwaslockedfromtheoutsideandHemrajwasnotaround.NupurwalkedintoHemrajsroom,foundthekeysandthrewthemdowntothegroundflooroutofawindowastherewasnowaytohandthemthroughthemeshdoor.Bharatiwentdownstairstogetthekeys.InherstatementtotheCBI,NupursaidthatatthispointtheywerenotawarethatAarushihadbeenmurdered.ShethencalledHemrajonhismobile,hopingtolocatehim.Thecallwasansweredandimmediatelydisconnected.ThetowerlocationsuggestedthatHemrajsmobilewasinthevicinityoftheflatatthetime.Withinafewminutes,Bharatireturnedupstairswiththekeys,openedthemeshdoor,andenteredthehousetofindNupurstandingnexttothediningtablewhileRajeshwasstandingatthedoorofAarushisroom.Theywerebothintears.TheytoldBharati,DekhoHemrajkyakarkegayahai.BharatifoundAarushilyinginapoolofbloodonherbed,herbodycoveredwithawhitebedsheet.Sheranoutoftheflattoinformtheneighbours.NupurcalledherparentstheDurranis,whowerefriendsoftheTalwarsandRajeshsbrotherDineshTalwartoletthemknowwhathadhappened.Thepolicewereinformedaboutanhourlater,at7:15am.

Thecrimehappenedinsideaclosedhousewithnoeyewitnesses.Therewerefourpeopleinsidealockedhousewithnoforcedentry:twoofthemweremurdered.NupurandRajeshclaimedthattheyhadsleptthroughthenight,from12pmto6am,whilethemurdererswereintheflat.TheTalwarsbedroomdoorwasshutandanoisyairconditionerwasrunning.AwoodenpartitionseparatedtheirroomfromAarushis.

Hemrajsbodywasrecovered,adaylater,ontheterraceoftheflatbyretiredDSP(deputysuperintendentofpolice)KKGautam.Butthisbarestatementoffactsconcealsanumberofmysteriesthatremainunsolved:

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Noforcedentryorbreakinwasdetected.Theironmeshdoorwaslockedfromtheoutside.ThedoortoHemrajsroomwasboltedfromtheinside.Thekeystothemainentrance(thegrillgate)werefoundinhisroom.TheduplicatesetofkeyswaswiththeTalwars.Inthisscenario,theonlyplausiblewaythekeyscouldhavebeenfoundinsideHemrajsroomafterthemeshdoorwaslockedfromtheoutside,wasifthekeyswerebroughtinthroughHemrajsroomandthenthatdoorwaslockedfromtheinside(seegraphicabove).SinceHemrajandAarushiweremurdered,thisallowsonlythreepossibilities:

(i)EitheroneorboththeTalwarswereinvolvedinthemurder

(ii)Eitheroneorbothofthemallowedthemurdererstoexitandcollectedthekeysfromthem

(iii)Therewasanothersetofkeysthathassofarnotbeenmentionedbyanyonerelatedtothecase.

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Bothbodieshadsimilarinjuries:afatalblowontheforeheadbyabluntobjectandthethroatslitbyasmall,sharpobject.Thebluntinjuryinflictedfirstwassufficienttocausethevictimsdeath.Theincisionwoundontheneckwasinflictedlater.TheCBIreportclaimsthatwhenAarushiwasassaultedthedoortoherbedroomwasopen,butprovidesnobasisforthisconclusion.

Themurdererswereapparentlyinnohurrytoleave,andspentconsiderabletimedressingupthesceneofthecrime.Aarushisbodywasfoundundisturbedonherbeddespitetheviolentassaultthatcausedherdeath(seephotoabove),whichraisesthequestionofwhethershewaskilledinsidetheroomoroutside.TheCBIhasnoconclusiveanswertothisquestion.Thebedsheetwaslaidoutsmoothly,showingnosignsofstruggle.Acircularwatermarkwasfoundbelowherpelvicareaonthebedsheet,buthervisiblyuntiedpyjamasdidnothaveanysuchwetpatch.Thisindicatesthatthepyjamaswerepulledupafterherbodywasswabbedclean.

Thebleedingshowstwodistinctpatterns:drainagefromtheincisionandsplashingdroplets.Herschoolbagandapinkpillowliewithinrangeofthesplashedbloodareabuthavenobloodstainsonthem,indicatingtheywereplacedonthebedafterhermurder.

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AtelephonicloopwascreatedsixtimesbetweenRajeshsbrother,DineshTalwar,afamilyfriendDrSushilChaudharyandKKGautam(thesameretiredDSPwholaterhelpedthepolicefindHemrajsbody)andanunidentifiednumber,inthisorder,andsoonafterinthereverseorder,ontheeveningof16May,whenthepostmortemreportwasbeingprepared.Thiswasdone,theCBImaintains,toensurethatthewordrapedoesnotappearinthepostmortemreport.ButtheCBIhasmadenoattemptstoexplainhowthisloopwasconnectedtothepostmortem,andonwhatbasisitmadesuchaclaim.Againasimilarloopwascreatedtwicebetween9and10thenextmorning(17May),justbeforeKKGautamhelpedthepolicerecoverHemrajsbodyfromtheTalwarsterrace.Againthereisnoclarityonwhythisloopwascreatedandwhatitwasusedfor.

Shockingly,itwasfoundthatAarushisvaginalswabs,sentfortestingattheCentreforDNAFingerprintingandDiagnostics,Hyderabad,didnotmatchherbloodsamples.Inotherwords,theswabsdidnotbelongtoher.TheCBIraidedtheNoidaDistrictHospitaltofindthatAarushisoriginalmedicalfile,herpathologyreports,autopsyfindingshadallgonemissing.TheCBIfailedtoestablishwhetherthesamplewasswitchedinthehospitaloratthepolicestation.Thishasensuredthatvitalcluesthatcouldhaveledtothemurdererswerelostforever.

Intheclosurereport,theCBIalsostates,Thevaginalorificeofthedeceasedwasundulylargeandmouthof[the]cervixwasvisible.Itfailedtoelaborateonthesignificanceofthisstatementandwhatitimplies.Thepostmortem

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reportissilentonthepossibilityofsexualassaultinspiteofthepanchanama(thefirstonsitepolicereport)specificallyaskingwhetherthegirlwasraped.Clearly,therewasasuccessfulattemptmadetoeraseallevidencethatcouldhaveconfirmedorruledoutsexualassault,butwhowasbehindit?

TheCBIhasstatedinitsclosurereportthathighlyinfluentialpeopleweretryingtothwarttheprobe.TheCBI,predictably,didnotidentifytheseinfluentialpeople.Whoarethesehighlyinfluentialpeople?AndiftheCBIknowsenoughtoknowtheyarehighlyinfluential,whyisitnotsayingmore?

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