Aarushi-Hemraj murder: CBI opposes Arun Kumar as court witness

Ghaziabad: CBI today countered the plea of dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar seeking deposition of former CBI Joint Director Arun Kumar as court witness in the Aarushi murder case, saying claims made in a press conference by the officer during the on-going probe cannot be termed as his final views. Kumar had claimed that Talwars’ daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj were murdered by servants. The defence counsel of Talwars had submitted an application that Kumar in his press conference had claimed that servants had allegedly murdered Aarushi and Hemraj and he should be asked to give his testimony before the court here so that reasons behind his claims could be recorded. [caption id=“attachment_747581” align=“alignleft” width=“338”]  Arun Kumar will not be allowed to be witness, CBI said. IBNLive. [/caption] CBI counsel R K Saini said the claims were made by Kumar when the investigation was in progress. Saini said conclusive views of the agency were expressed in its final report filed before Magistrate here on December 29, 2010 and any views expressed before that has no value. He said if defence feels that testimony is so important they can call him as defence witness but there was no need for the court to get involved and summon them as court witness. Posted at present as Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Kumar, a 1985 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, had investigated the case from June 2008 to April 2009 and arrested three servants of Talwar and their friends. However, the investigation carried out by the team led by him had several loopholes and his role along with his former boss and the then CBI Director Vijay Shanker came under severe criticism from courts. A fresh team was instituted which probed the case. Kumar was also repatriated to his parent cadre. 14-year-old Aarushi was found dead with her throat slit in her bedroom on May 16, 2008. The initial suspicion went on Hemraj whose body was later found in the their terrace at Jalvayu Vihar in Noida on the outskirts of Delhi. PTI