Aarushi case: Bailable warrants against Talwars

Bailable arrest warrants were issued against Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in connection with the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case by a special CBI court in Ghaziabad which rejected their plea for exemption from personal appearance before the magistrate. Rajesh and Nupur had been summoned by the court to appear before it on Monday after Special Judicial Magistrate Preeti Mishra, on February 9, rejected agency's closure report in the double murder case and made them accused on charges of murder, destruction of evidence and common intention to commit the crime.

Rajesh, in his plea submitted had sought exemption from appearing before the court citing medical reasons while Nupur had cited pendency of a related matter before the Allahabad High Court. The couple had challenged before the Allahabad High Court the summons issued to them by the special CBI court in Ghaziabad in the double murder of their teenage daughter and domestic help Hemraj through a writ petition.

The high court which started hearing the matter on February 25 has not given any stay against the CBI court order. The high court heard the matter today

as well. "The CBI court rejected the plea put forth by Rajesh and Nupur and issued bailable warrants of Rs 20,000 each against them. The court has now directed them to appear before it on March 22," counsel for Talwars', Satish Tamta said.

Rajesh is not medically fit and has been advised bed rest and he cannot move without help, he said. The petitioners had pleaded before the high court that summons had been issued to them despite the fact that they had not been named as accused by the investigating agency in its closure report. "The Allahabad High Court heard the plea today but reserved its decision till tomorrow. Since Nupur is physically present in Allahabad, she could not appear before the special CBI court," he said.

Aarushi was found murdered inside her Noida residence near Delhi on the intervening night of May 15-16, 2008, while the body of domestic help Hemraj was found hours later on the terrace of the house. Although Rajesh was intensively grilled by the CBI, which also took him for narco tests and brain-mapping, the agency did not name him or his wife as accused in its closure report filed earlier this year.