Aarushi case: SC directs Nupur Talwar to surrender

Dentist Nupur Talwar was on Friday directed by the Supreme Court to surrender on Monday before the trial court in Ghaziabad in the twin murder case of her 14-year-old daughter Aarushi and domestic help in Noida four years ago.

Refusing to stay the non-bailable warrant issued against her by the Special Central bureau of Investigation court, a bench of justices A K Patnaik and J S Khehar asked her to approach the trial judge for bail after surrendering which shall expeditiously consider her plea.

The court also turned down her plea for granting protection against any arrest on her surrender.

"We should not anticipate about what the trial court is going to do. You appear before it and the court shall consider your bail. If you do not get bail then there are higher courts," the bench said.

The bench pointed out that her husband also got bail in the twin murder case.

"We are not inclined to stay the operation of the order of NBW issued by the Special Judge, Ghaziabad. But we direct that petitioner (Nupur Talwar) will appear on Monday and move her bail. In case application for bail is moved, the same shall be considered expeditiously," the bench said.

School-going Aarushi was murdered on the intervening night of May 16-17, 2008 at her Noida residence and the body of domestic help, Hemraj, was found on their terrace the next day.

Nupur faced arrest after Ghaziabad special court issued non-bailable warrant against her on April 11 following which the CBI had carried out searches at her Delhi home.

The investigating agency, however, later on assured the bench that it would not arrest her till the hearing of her plea in the apex court.

The special CBI court had issued the warrant against Nupur Talwar for failing to appear before the court in Ghaziabad and directed that she be produced before it.

The order was given on the plea by the CBI seeking issuance of warrant against Nupur, who was not appearing before the court despite directions.

Nupur's husband Rajesh Talwar, who appeared before the court, had requested it to grant time to her, but the CBI opposed it sought issuance of NBW against her. Dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar's sole daughter 14-year-old Aarushi had been found dead at their Noida house on the night intervening May 15 and 16, 2008.

The body of their servant Hemraj was found on the terrace of the house the next day. Nupur had earlier moved both the Allahabad high court and the Supreme Court but had failed to get any relief. The high court had also denied her relief from arrest.