By IANS,
New Delhi : Failing to unravel any concrete evidence in the Noida double murder case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Wednesday conducted a lie detector test on teenager victim Aarushi’s father Rajesh Talwar.
The lie-detector test, also known as polygraph test, followed permission by the Ghaziabad court, which Tuesday also granted the CBI two-day custody of Talwar.
“There is high possibility that Talwar knows the whereabouts of the weapon of offence and the mobile phones of Aarushi and (another victim, domestic help) Hemraj. The test is aimed at ascertaining the whereabouts of these articles,” a CBI official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
During the test, a polygraph instrument collects physiological data of the human body, including sweat gland activity, blood pressure and heartbeat, as questions are put to the person.
CBI sleuths also suspects that Talwar dumped the weapon en route to Hardwar, where he went to perform Aarushi’s last rites.
The Noida police had earlier taken Talwar to Hardwar, where police, in his presence, questioned the priest who performed the rituals.
The investigating agency had told the court that Talwar, a prominent dentist, was not cooperating with the probe and was giving “evasive” answers, necessitating the lie detector test.
“The test will also help in establishing the chain of events on the night of the incident, as to who was killed first. Talwar has confirmed that Aarushi was killed first,” a CBI source said.
Moreover, the fingerprints lifted by the CBI from Talwar’s Jal Vayu Vihar apartment in Noida did not gave any clues.
“A block from Talwar’s terrace wall that had the imprint of a bloodstained palm did not give any clue as the person was wearing gloves,” sources added.
The CBI also formed 10 teams to investigate various aspects of the case.
Aarushi, 14, was found dead in her home with her throat slit May 16. The police initially named Hemraj the main accused but backtracked after his body was found on the terrace of the apartment a day later.
Police arrested Talwar May 23, accusing him of killing his daughter in a fit of rage as he objected to her closeness to Hemraj. The police had said at that time that he first killed Hemraj and then his daughter.
The case was handed over to the CBI Sunday after large-scale condemnation of the way in which the Noida police had bad-mouthed Aarushi and her father. The investigating officer of the case had also been changed thrice.
After obtaining his custody, the CBI first took Talwar to his residence and conducted an extensive search of the premises. He was then taken to the Noida residence of Anita Durrani, a fellow dentist with whom he was alleged to be having an affair.
The CBI has hinted at loopholes in the Noida police investigation that actually led to evidence being destroyed or tampered with as the crime scene was not cordoned off and a number of people moved in and out of Talwar’s apartment.
So far, the CBI has interrogated five people, including Talwar, his dentist wife Nupur Talwar and Durrani.
The agency has also interrogated the Talwars’ driver Umesh Sharma. He claims to have seen Aarushi having dinner with her family in their apartment on the night of May 15. The Talwars’ maid Bharti has also been questioned.