Circumstances do not show Talwars alone were perpetrators of
crime: HC on Aarushi case(Eds: Changing dateline)Allahabad, Oct 13 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court has saidthe circumstances of the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case on beingcollectively considered did not lead to the "irresistibleconclusion" that Nupur and Rajesh Talwar alone were theperpetrators of crime in question.
The Talwars had filed appeals in then high court againstthe November 28, 2013 trial court order sentencing them tolife for the murders of their 14-year-old daughter Aarushi and45-year-old domestic help Hemraj in May 2008.
In their 273-page verdict, justices B K Narayana and A KMishra said in view of the principles propounded by theSupreme Court they were adopting the view favourable to theTalwars, who are both dentists.
They quoted an apex court ruling that underlined "graverthe crime, greater should be the standard of proof".
The high court said, "The circumstances of this case uponbeing collectively considered do not lead to the irresistibleconclusion that the appellants alone are the perpetrators ofcrime in question and on the evidence adduced in this casecertainly two views are possible; one pointing to the guilt ofthe appellants; and the other to their innocence and in viewof the principles expounded by the Apex Court in the case ofKali Ram (supra), we propose to adopt the view which isfavourable to the appellants," the high court said.
"We hold that the prosecution has failed to prove itscase against the accused appellants beyond all reasonabledoubts," it said, adding the life sentence awarded the coupleby Ghaziabad CBI special court judge Shyam Lal could not besustained.
The court said the dentist duo were acquitted of allcharges, including that of murder and common intention, framedagainst them.
The judgement was pronounced in open court by justicesNarayana and Mishra yesterday and a copy of the verdict wasuploaded on the court website today. PTI CORR SCSC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.