By IANS,
New Delhi : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that is probing the sensational double murder of teenager Aarushi Talwar and her family’s domestic help in suburban Noida said Tuesday an employee of the girl’s father had confessed to his involvement in the crime.
“Krishna has confessed to his involvement in the crime along with others,” the CBI said in a statement submitted in the court of special judge Sapna Mishra, even as it sought his custody for 11 days. The judge allowed only six days.
Krishna was the compounder in the dental clinic run by Aarushi’s father Rajesh Talwar, who has also been arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the crime.
“Krishna is not co-operating in the investigation,” the CBI told the court, adding that it needed to question him to recover the weapons used in the crime, as also Aarushi’s missing mobile phone.
Defence counsel F.C. Sharma denied in court that Krishna had made any confessional statement and that he had been illegally detained.
“Krishna revealed that (murdered domestic help) Hemraj had asked him to bring a ‘khukri’ (Nepali curved knife) when he came to Talwar’s residence at around midnight on May 14. He said he had taken the khukri himself,” the CBI statement said.
Aarushi, 14, was found dead in her upscale Jal Vayu Vihar apartment in suburban May 16. The Noida police initially named Hemraj as the prime suspect, but retracted after his body was found on the terrace of the house the next day.
Aarushi’s father Rajesh Talwar was arrested May 23.
Police said Talwar killed his daughter in a fit of rage as he objected to her closeness with hemraj. Police said Talwar first killed Hemraj and then his daughter.
A second arrest in the case was made June 13 when the agency held Krishna.
The CBI, which took over the case June 1 after a public outcry over the manner in which the Noida police handled the probe, has not yet been able to establish the motive for the crime.
“Krishna has agreed to help us in the recovery of the murder weapon, the mobile phones and the (blood stained) clothes (of the victims),” the agency’s statement said.
Legal experts contended that the CBI might have extracted a confession from Krishna but this was not admissible in court as it had been recorded before a police officer under section 161 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Only statements recorded before a magistrate under Section 164 of the code are admissible as evidence.
The CBI will now produce Krishna before the court on June 23.
The CBI also told the court that various scientific tests of Krishna have been conducted and it had sent a report to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory here for further analysis.
The court also warned the CBI against resorting to third degree methods and ruled that his advocate could be present during Krishna’s interrogation.
Krishna’s defence, meanwhile, received a boost Tuesday with noted criminal lawyer R.K. Anand agreeing to argue his case in court.
“Krishna’s family had approached me to appear before the court today (Tuesday) but since it was only for the extension of his remand, it was a minor issue. So, I refrained from appearing today,” Anand told IANS.
He confirmed he would appear for Krishna when his bail application is moved.
In other developments, a six-member CBI team again questioned Anita Durrani and her husband Praful, both dentists and friends of Rajesh Talwar.
The police have alluded to a liaison between Talwar and Anita Durrani, saying this could have a bearing on the twin murders.
The sleuths questioned the Durrani couple together and also singly. The entire proceedings were videographed.
The Durrani residence, as also the room occupied by the couple’s domestic help Raj Kumar was also searched.
Raj Kumar has been detained, but not arrested, after the CBI recovered a “khukri” from his room. The knife has been sent for forensic examination for clues on whether this was the weapon of offence.