Setback for Talwars, SC declines plea on witnesses

The Supreme Court Monday declined to entertain a plea by Rajesh and Nupur Talwar seeking to summon 14 witnesses, including former CBI official Arun Kumar, in the trial for murders of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj.

The apex court's vacation bench of Justice B.S. Chauhan and Justice Dipak Misra while declining to hear the plea by the dentist couple, who are both accused in the double murder, took objection to their approaching the court while bypassing the Allahabad High Court.

"We don't intend to touch such matter. It is wrong procedure to approach the Supreme Court directly," the court said, paving the way for the recording of statement by dentist couple in the trial court in Ghaziabad May 30.

Defence counsel Manoj Shishodia, who appeared for the Talwars in the trial court, earlier said: "Of the 13 witnesses we want in the box, 12 are from the original list of 141 witnesses given by the CBI. One additional witness whose name we have added is former joint director of CBI Arun Kumar, who claimed that Aarushi's parents were innocent."

Aarushi, 14, was found brutally murdered in the Talwars' Noida residence on May 16, 2008. The body of their domestic help Hemraj was found the next day from the terrace of the house.

According to the CBI, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were the main accused in the double murder. The agency claimed there was no evidence of any third person entering Talwars' premises on the night of the double murder.

The apex court June 7, 2012 held that the dentist couple should be tried for the double murder and warned them against frivolous litigation.