Call journalist,CBI officer as witnesses,Talwars tell court

The Talwars are facing trial for allegedly killing their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj on the night of May 15-16,2008.

The application,signed by counsels Satyaketu Singh and Tanveer Ahmed Mir,states,“Nalini Singh categorically stated that after being asked by the officer,she provided all the details of the programme that she ran on the Nepali channel on May 15,2008,along with other material details. Upon supplying the details,the investigating officer (Anuj Arya) told her that the three suspects namely Krishna,Raj Kumar and Vijay Mandal had categorically admitted that they,along with Hemraj,were present in Hemraj’s room on the unfortunate night of the incident and were watching Nepali songs,which were being telecast on the Nepali channel that night.”

Krishna,Raj Kumar and Mandal were arrested by the CBI initially for the murders,but later let off for want of evidence.

The application also states,“As per the programme broadcast on NDTV channel,Nalini Singh stated that she along with Anuj Arya ought to have been called as witnesses in the matter as she is acquainted with a number of facts of the present case which can be helpful for the proper and just adjudication of the case. Raghavan,former director of the CBI,also acknowledged in the programme that the facts are material for the present case.”

It also alleges that Arya’s name was “deliberately” dropped from the list of witnesses. “Inspector Anuj Arya’s name was also included in the list of witnesses as witness No. 126,which was filed by the CBI,and that he was part of the investigating team,yet he was not examined,” the application states.

The application comes after the CBI alleged that the defence was wasting time as the presiding judge,Shyam Lal,was to retire by the end of November.