Some situations shake the entire nation. One such example is the murder of Aarushi and Hemraj in Noida. Even now, 17 years after the murder investigation began, the truth has not been made public. The mystery surrounding the double murder that occurred on the evening of May 15–16, 2008, remains as complex as it was on the first day.
How was the murder case revealed?
On the morning of 16 May 2008, Aarushi Talwar’s body was found in her room. When the maid of the residence got to work, she noticed that Aarushi was lying dead on her bed. Seeing this, she panicked and immediately informed Aarushi’s parents, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar.
Initially, the suspicion fell on the domestic servant Hemraj. It was believed that he had fled to Nepal after the murder. The police also believed in the initial investigation that Hemraj was the murderer.
The story changed after 24 hours
However, Hemraj’s body was found on Aarushi’s home’s roof the very next day, on May 17. Now, this case had become a double murder, and the direction of the police investigation completely changed.
The Noida police had earlier reached Nepal, considering Hemraj to be the murderer, but now it became clear that he was a victim. It asked questions about the work style of the Noida Police.
Rajesh Talwar was arrested
After a few days of investigation, the police suspected Aarushi’s parents. On 18 May, the police claimed that the murder was committed with a weapon like a surgical blade. On 23 May 2008, Aarushi’s father, Rajesh Talwar, was arrested. This case had become high-profile because Rajesh and Nupur were reputed dental surgeons in Noida. There was a constant debate in the media about this case, and people had many questions in their minds.
The case was handed over to the CBI
The then Chief Minister Mayawati handed over this case to the CBI on 1 June 2008. The CBI investigated the case twice and worked on several theories, but could not reach a clear conclusion. Rajesh Talwar was arrested again, but was released due to lack of evidence. Also, three domestic servants were also given a clean chit.
CBI’s closure report and trial
In 2010, the CBI filed a closure report, in which the servants were declared innocent. However, the report raised suspicion on Aarushi’s parents. The court considered the closure report as a charge sheet and the trial was conducted. The result was that on 26 November 2013, the CBI special court convicted Nupur and Rajesh Talwar and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
Relief from the High Court
This ruling was contested in the Allahabad High Court by Rajesh and Nupur. Due to insufficient evidence, the High Court cleared both of them on October 12, 2017.
The mystery still remains
The question has not changed in 17 years:
Who murdered Hemraj and Aarushi on the evening of May 15–16, 2008?
Following investigations by two CBI teams, the parents were initially convicted before being found not guilty. However, as of right now, the truth behind this well-known murder case remains unknown. This case continues to be the most enigmatic and contentious murder mystery in India.
Conclusion:
In addition to posing issues with law and order, the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case demonstrates how challenging it may occasionally be to find the truth.
