By IANS,
Ghaziabad : A CBI special court here Tuesday adjourned the proceedings in the Aarushi-Hemraj double-murder for a day after accused Nupur Talwar filed a plea seeking the deferment of the cross-examination of a witness and forensic expert.
Nupur Talwar, teen Aarushi’s mother, sought delaying the cross examination of B.K. Mahapatra, a scientist from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Delhi, so that 13 other key witnesses could depose in the court, ahead of the hearing on her bail plea in the Supreme Court.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge S. Lal adjourned the hearing till Wednesday after the local bar association called a strike in protest against a cane charge against their colleagues in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district.
The court hears the case on two days every week.
The CBI, while opposing her bail plea in the Supreme Court earlier, said that if she was granted bail she could influence the 13 key witnesses.
Nupur Talwar in her plea filed Tuesday sought advancing the examination of these 13 witnesses in the trial court and taking up the on-going cross-examination of other witnesses later.
She said the examination of Mahapatra consumed four working days and his cross-examination would consume another six-seven working days, delaying the hearing on her bail plea.
The apex court Aug 13 adjourned the hearing on Nupur Talwar’s bail application till Sep 17, asking the CBI to expedite the examination of the 13 witnesses.
Nupur Talwar was taken into custody April 30. She challenged in the apex court the May 31 Allahabad High Court order rejecting her plea for bail. She is lodged in Dasna jail in Ghaziabad. Her husband and co-accused Rajesh Talwar is out on bail.
Aarushi, 14, was found murdered at her parents’ Noida residence May 16, 2008. The body of her domestic help Hemraj was found the next day on the terrace of the house.