Noida twin murders: Arushi's father arrested

MURDER MOST FOUL: Arushi's father, Dr Rajesh Talwar, has been arrested for the murder of his daughter.

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Noida (Uttar Pradesh): The controversial Noida double murder case probe ended in a sensational revelation on Friday when police arrested Dr Rajesh Talwar for the murder of his 14-year-old daughter Arushi Talwar and their domestic help servant Hemraj.

Arushi, a class IX student of Delhi Public School in Noida, was found in her bedroom with her throat slit last Friday. A day later, Hemraj, the Nepali help of the Talwar household — who was initially named as prime suspect by the Noida Police — was found dead on the terrace. His throat had been slit in a similar manner.

After a series of bunglings and wild goose chases, the police finally zeroed in on Arushi's parents, Dr Nupur and Dr Rajesh Talwar. The two were subjected to intensive questioning on Thursday night for five hours. On Friday, they were taken to an undisclosed location where they were questioned again, during which Rajesh is said to have made contradictory statements.

Both husband and wife worked as dentists at the renowned city hospital Fortis. They also had a private clinic at their residence, where another dental surgeon couple — Dr Anita and Dr Praful Durrani — used to work.

Police said Rajesh and Anita were having an affair that Arushi knew about and was uncomfortable with.

Police on Friday confirmed that both murders were committed by Dr Talwar. Dr Anita Durrani has also been detained and has been named as an accomplice. Arushi's mother has also been detained for abetment and is being questioned.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Noida), A Satish Ganesh, told news agencies on Friday that Arushi was murdered because she had come to know about her father's illicit relationship with Dr Anita Durrani.

The arrests come a day after Ganesh had said there was a strong possibility of "honour killing" or "an extreme crime of passion", a covert hint that the killing could have been by the girl's relatives.

He had also said that Dr Rajesh Talwar had intended to only kill Arushi but Hemraj became an unfortunate victim of circumstance.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh ADGP Brij Lal had said the murders could have been committed either by a "doctor" or a "butcher", hinting at the precise nature of slit on their throats.

THE BACKGROUND

Arushi was found murdered in her bedroom at her L-32 Jalvayu Vihar home in Sector 25, Noida, last Friday. She had wounds on her forehead, shoulder and chest as well.

The police immediately declared Hemraj as their suspect but were red-faced when he was found murdered on the terrace of the Talwars' home, a day later.

The fact that the killer’s entry to the household was friendly and that Arushi's parents "slept" through two brutal killings in the next room had greatly baffled the police.

Her parents have been interrogated almost everyday for a few hours at undisclosed locations since last Wednesday.

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A growing consumerist society has meant a change in societal patterns. New-age India, too, is going through the motions of trying to adjust to changing stereotypes, especially in everyday life. If there is role reversal happening in gender dynamics within the home and outside, the rules of parenting have also changed, considerably.

The rise of double income families and the breakdown of joint family system have brought about an inevitable dependence on servants and domestic helps for middle-class India.

For children in urban India, an aaya or a bhaiyya is an ubiquitous presence. For parents, it also means being able to bring themselves to trust somebody else with the upkeep of their children. And more often than not, the trust seems to be intact.

For the Noida-based Talwars, who are mourning the loss of their 14-year-old daughter Arushi, it seems that their close ones may have broken their trust.

While earlier suspicion focused on their Nepalese domestic help who was later found murdered, recent reports point toward the involvement of former servants. The police, meanwhile, have also not ruled out the role of relatives.

The Talwar residence will not hear the carefree laughter of their daughter any more. As they mourn the loss of sunshine in their lives, seeking refuge in memories and anguish, they unfortunately will be left with no answers till the guilty are pronounced so.

Meanwhile, many parents across the country will be wondering and asking the same questions — Is this the end of innocence? Are children anywhere not safe any more? Is this the world that we would want our tomorrow to see?

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