Aarushi Talwar Case 2008 Case Study.pptx

Presentation was given By Ritesh Kushwaha in Gujarat University at Department of Biochemistry and Forensic Science (Msc.Forensic Science)

1. Aarushi Talwar Double Murder Case By - Ritesh Kushwaha Msc. Forensic Science Semester 1

2. INTRODUCTION The Aarushi Talwar case , one of the most perplexing and high-profile criminal cases in India, revolves around the double murder of 14-year-old Aarushi Talwar and the Talwars' domestic helper Hemraj Banjade , in 2008. This case captivated the nation due to its sensational media coverage, the mysterious nature of the crime, and the judicial controversy surrounding it. Hemraj Banjade

3. Case Overview Aarushi Talwar, the 14-year-old daughter of Dr. Rajesh and Dr. Nupur Talwar , was found murdered in her bedroom on May 16, 2008, in Noida Jalvayu Vihar L- 32 sector-25 India. Initially, Hemraj, the family’s domestic help, was suspected, but his body was found the next day on the terrace of the Talwars' residence, leading to a double murder investigation. Daughter Mother Father

4. Series Of Events Took Placed Date : 15th May 2008 Time : 9 pm – 10 pm Rajesh and his driver Umesh Sharma returned to Jalvayu Vihar around 9:30 pm. Sharma dropped Rajesh in front of the apartment building and drove away to park the car at the house of Nupur's parents, which was at a walking distance. Sharma returned to the Talwar residence around 9:40 pm to hand over the car keys and Rajesh's bag to Hemraj, who had cooked the dinner for the family. Sharma saw Nupur and Aarushi near the dining table, and Rajesh coming out of his bedroom. He was the last known outsider to see Aarushi and Hemraj alive.

5. Series Of Events Took Placed Date : 15th May 2008 Time : 10 pm – 11 pm According to the Talwars, after the dinner, they went to Aarushi's room, and gave her a Sony DSC-W130 digital camera that day as an early birthday surprise. Aarushi clicked several photographs of herself and her parents, the last one at 10:10 pm. Subsequently, Aarushi's parents returned to their room, while Aarushi remained in her room.

6. Series Of Events Took Placed Date : 15th May 2008 Time : 11 pm – 12 am According to the parents, around 11 pm, Rajesh asked Nupur to switch on the internet router , which was in Aarushi's room. When Nupur came to Aarushi's room, the teenager was reading Chetan Bhagat 's The 3 Mistakes of My Life . Nupur switched on the router and returned to her own room. Around this time, Rajesh answered a call from the US on the landline phone (kept in the couple's room). This indicates that the ringer was not silent. Rajesh then surfed some stock market and dentistry websites, and sent an e-mail. He visited an e-mail site at 11:41:53 pm .

7. Series Of Events Took Placed Date : 16th May 2008 Time : After 12 am Around midnight, Aarushi's friend Anmol tried calling her on her mobile as well as the Talwar residence's landline. The calls were not answered. Around 12:30 am, he sent her an SMS message : This message was not received by Aarushi's phone. The Internet router was used for the last time at 12:08 am . Based on this, CBI inferred that Rajesh was online until 12:08 am. The exact sequence of events between midnight and 6:00 am could not be determined by the investigators with According to post-mortem reports, Aarushi and Hemraj were killed between 12:00 am and 1:00 am.

8. Talwar’s apartment

9. Investigation Initial Investigation by Noida Police : During initial investigation many errors were made by noida police including a failure to immediately secure the crime scene and mishandling of forensic evidence. There were no signs of forced entry, leading police to suspect an inside job. The police initially made insinuations about Aarushi's relationship with Hemraj, which were later discredited. CBI Investigation: The CBI took over the case, initially suspecting Rajesh Talwar, Aarushi's father, and accused him of killing both Aarushi and Hemraj according to CBI officer SP AGL Kaul rajesh in a fit of rage after discovering aarushi & hemraj in a compromising position and murdered both.However, the investigation faced challenges due to insufficient forensic evidence, contamination of the crime scene, and conflicting theories about the crime.

10. Evidences The Noida police failed to secure the crime scene immediately, and many people, including the media, were freely roaming in the apartment without any permission when the forensic team arrived to gather evidence. According to the CBI team, 90% of the evidence at the crime scene was destroyed due to the police's negligence. DNA samples from both victims were collected, Weapon such as a golf club (may be used as a weapon) The weapon used for slitting the throats of the victims was never found. Aarushi’s mobile phone, was not handled properly. Murder weapon was never definitively identified. Other Testimonal Evidence Of Rajesh & Nupur. (but not useful)

11. Court Proceedings Charges and Indictment: Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were charged with the double murder of Aarushi and Hemraj in 2012, based on circumstantial evidence. Prosecution’s Case: The prosecution argued that Rajesh Talwar, enraged upon finding Aarushi and Hemraj together, killed them both in a fit of rage. They relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, including the golf club found in the house, which they claimed was the murder weapon Defense’s Case: The defense contended that the CBI’s case was built on speculation and lacked concrete evidence. They argued that no direct evidence linked the Talwars to the crime and that the real culprits could have been outsiders, as the crime scene had been mishandled and contaminated by the police.

12. Judgment Court Verdict (2013) : On 25 November 2013, a special CBI court held Rajesh and Nupur Talwar guilty for the two murders. The Special Judge Shyam Lal convicted the couple for murder, destruction of evidence, misleading the probe and filing a wrong FIR. On 26 November 2013, they were sentenced to life imprisonment for the twin murders. The court’s decision was based on circumstantial evidence as the murder weapon and motive was not found properly. Appeal and Acquittal (2017): In October 2017, the Allahabad High Court overturned the conviction, citing a lack of conclusive evidence and inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case. The court criticized the investigation for being riddled with errors and relying on conjecture.The case remained unsolved The court ruled that the evidence against the couple was circumstantial and that the CBI had not proven their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

13. Conclusion The Aarushi Talwar case remains one of India’s most controversial criminal cases. It demonstrated the weaknesses in the investigative process, including poor evidence handling, reliance on circumstantial evidence, and media bias. The ultimate acquittal of the Talwars in 2017 showed how public perception and legal outcomes could diverge dramatically.

14. References CBI Investigation Reports Court Documents Forensic Reports News Articles From (Times Of India , The Hindu, India Today) External Source Link Aarushi Post-mortem report : https://www.scribd.com/document/122348870/Aarushi-postmortemSept09-pdf Hemraj autopsy report : https://www.scribd.com/doc/122349457/Hemraj-s-autopsy Court Orders Report : https://web.archive.org/web/20151017014148/http://cbi.gov.in/court%20judgements/2015-10-14-Aarushi.php

15. Thanks!