Aarushi case: Next hearing on May 16, CBI told to give CDs

A special court in Ghaziabad on Monday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to provide probe-related CDs to the defence counsel and fixed May 16 as the next date of hearing in the sensational double murder case of dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar's daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj.

The court is likely to hear arguments on framing of charges from both the sides when the case comes up for hearing on Wednesday, four years after the murders took place in 2008 at the Talwars' residence in neighbouring Noida.
CBI counsel R K Saini said the defence lawyers were provided the report prepared by the first investigation officer of the case -- Dataram Nauneria of the Uttar Pradesh police.

Saini said the court also directed the agency to provide the accused certain CDs related to the probe in the case. Both Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were present in the court.

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Shyam Lal had on May 11 reserved its order on the Talwars' plea about deficiency in case-related documents provided to them by the investigating agency.

The CBI had then told the court that the agency had provided all relevant documents to them and had withheld only those on which it was not relying for the couple's prosecution.

Fourteen-year-old Aarushi was found murdered on the intervening night of May 16-17, 2008 at her Noida residence and the body of Hemraj was found on the terrace of the house the next day.

The judge had earlier orally asked the CBI to give all the documents to the Talwars "for the sake of justice".

Special Judicial Magistrate Preeti Singh had on May 9 sent the case for sessions trial, rejecting a plea by the couple that the trial in the case could not start as they had not been supplied all the prosecution documents.

Transferring the case, the magistrate had said she did not have the requisite power under the criminal procedure code to hold the trial of a murder case which can only be conducted by a sessions court.

The CBI, in its submissions earlier, had said that statements of 90 out of the 153 witnesses and 23 photographs on which the agency was relying for prosecution have already been given to Talwars.

The court had also given Talwars the liberty to inspect all the documents.

The additional district and sessions judge had on May 2 denied bail to Nupur in the twin murder case. She is currently in judicial custody in Dasna jail.

Nupur told reporters outside the Ghaziabad court that she will move an application before the trial judge for permission to write a book in connection with the case.