Ghaziabad:
The CBI has said in court on Wednesday that despite two years of investigation, it cannot solve the murder of 14-year-old Aarushi Talwar, and her family's domestic help, Hemraj.
The CBI told a Ghaziabad court that it had not been able to collect enough evidence against anyone. (
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"I am deeply shocked...really devastated by what I've head. I don't know what to say or do. I am completely broken," said Nupur Talwar to NDTV. Her voice wavered as she added, "I had huge hopes pinned on the CBI...this is not something I can deal with or bear." The Talwars say they will consult their lawyers and won't let the case go like this. (
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Aarushi was found dead in her bedroom in Noida, a Delhi suburb, in May, 2008. She was the only child of Nupur and Rajesh Talwar, both dentists. At first, the police suspected Hemraj, who worked for her family and lived in the same apartment to be the killer. However, within hours, he was discovered dead on the terrace of the Talwars' home. (
Watch: My daughter has been denied justice, says Aarushi's father Rajesh Talwar)
That was just the first of a series of massive lapses in an investigation embedded with mismanagement and fantastical oversights. Key evidence was destroyed or mishandled. DNA samples were swapped, or went missing. (
Watch: Indications that evidence tampered with, says forensic expert)
The murder investigation was first handled by the Noida police, which arrested Aarushi's father, Rajesh barely a week after the teen was killed. At a press conference, a Noida policeman made the shocking allegation that Rajesh had killed his daughter after finding her with Hemraj in a compromising position. That declaration cause outrage, not just among the Talwars' friends and family, but also among child rights activists.
In June, the CBI took over. Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were both put through lie detector tests. In July, Rajesh was released from jail. (
Read: The chronology of Aarushi murder case)
By this time, the CBI believed that Aarushi had been killed by three men: Krishna, who worked in Rajesh Talwar's clinic; Rajkumar, who worked for the Duranis, close family friends of the Talwars; and Vijay Mandal, who worked for a family that lived in the same apartment block as the Talwars. The three men were arrested and put through narco-analysis, but their tests did not lead the CBI to any breakthroughs. They were eventually released after the CBI admitted that it had no evidence against them.