Aarushi murder: Vishal Bhardwaj, Meghna Gulzar welcome acquittal of Talwars

The 2008 NOIDA double murder shook the conscience of the nation. After constant flip-flops, a special CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) court had found Nupur and Rajesh Talwar guilty of killing their own 14-year-old daughter Aarushi. Today, the Allahabad high court acquitted the Talwars for lack of ‘irresistible proof’.

The news has been welcomed by filmmakers Vishal Bhardwaj and Meghna Gulzar. Bhardwaj had produced the film Talvar (2015), directed by Meghna Gulzar, based on the Aarushi case. Apart from Aarushi, the Talwars’ servant Hemraj, too, was killed in the incident.

Bhardwaj took to Twitter to express his satisfaction over the verdict. 

Meghna Gulzar did not post any text, but she posted a picture of the metamorphical Justice with the text, ‘jis din samay ne aankhein kholi, insaaf hoga' (Justice will be done the day Time opens its eyes).

Kabir Bedi played no part in the film, but he, too, welcomed the court verdict and urged the CBI not to waste time going in appeal against the verdict. 

Aarushi Talwar was murdered on the night of 15 September 2008. A few days later, the body of the Talwars' domestic help Hemraj was discovered on the terrace of the house.

The initial CBI investigation had accused Krishna, dentist Rajesh Talwar's assistant, of the murder. But in 2009, the CBI appointed a new team, which proceeded to dump that hypothesis and, following the lead of the NOIDA police, shifted the focus back on to the Talwars. The parents were then found guilty by the special CBI court.