By IANS,
New Delhi : Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury Monday expressed unhappiness over the lack of action against police officers who made slanderous statements on teenager Aarushi Talwar and her family’s domestic help Hemraj, found murdered May 16 in the Noida suburb of the national capital.
“I am not at all happy with the action taken against police officers. We are studying the legal options available,” Chowdhury told reporters here after chairing a meeting of the ministry’s advisory group here.
With the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) taking over investigations into the murders, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Sunday gave marching orders to all the senior police officers connected with the probe so far.
Mayawati announced the transfer of Inspector General (IG) Gurdarshan Singh and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) P.C. Meena, both of the Meerut Range, and Noida’s Senior Superintendent of Police A.S. Ganesh.
The police had named Hemraj as the prime suspect soon after 14-year-old Aarushi’s body was discovered in her parents’ flat. They backtracked after the servant’s body’s was found on the roof of the apartment May 17.
The girl’s father, dentist Rajesh Talwar, was arrested May 23, with the police claiming he killed his daughter in a fit of rage as he objected to her closeness to Hemraj. This had raised Chowdhury’s hackles and she severely rapped the Uttar Pradesh police for their “character assassination” of Aarushi.
A child rights panel also sought explanation from the police for their “objectionable” statements.
Mayawati, in turn, flayed Chowdhury for “meddling” in the case and for issuing “irresponsible statements”. “They should stop petty politics in a matter that is so serious and sensitive,” Mayawati said.
The war of words continued with Chowdhury saying: “How sad it is that a woman chief minister thinks that a young girl’s life is equal to politics. However, my reaction to the case comes as a mother, out of great pain and anguish. I only wish that Mayawati would know what it is to feel like that.”
Mayawati is unmarried.