I asked colony guard to alert police: Talwars’ neighbour

Door to terrace of Noida house was never locked: Tandon

A man who lived in the same Noida building as dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in 2008 told a Ghaziabad court on Friday that it was he who took the first step to alert police about Aarushi's murder. The Talwars are being tried for the murder of their daughter and domestic help Hemraj.

Appearing as a prosecution witness, Punish Rai Tandon recalled in court what he witnessed on the morning of May 16, 2008: "When I opened my front door at 6.15 in the morning, I heard people crying. Neighbours told me that the noise was coming from L-32, the Talwar residence which was one floor above. I went up, and saw Rajesh Talwar's mother-in-law sitting on the sofa. She told me that Hemraj had murdered Aarushi and run away. Rajesh was sitting in his own bedroom and was crying, and his father-in-law was in the same room."

"When I tried to console Rajesh, he removed my hand, went to Aarushi's room and sat at the foot of the bed with the body. I asked his father-in-law if the police had been informed. He said that the landline in the house was not functional, and he would go home, first call his son in Dubai and then call the police. After he left, I went home and called the colony guard and asked him to contact the daroga (police officer)."

Tandon told the court that he had never seen the door to the terrace locked. "I had never seen the terrace door of L-32 locked. It was always open." On May 17, Hemraj's body was found on the terrace of the house. At that time, police had to break open a lock on the door.

During cross-examination, lawyers for the Talwars showed Tandon photographs of the staircase. This was after Tandon told the court that at 4.30 pm on May 16, Umesh, the driver of the Talwars, had come to his house, asking for keys to the terrace so that a mattress and bedsheet could be kept there.

... contd.

ALSO READ

Ghalib returns home, his haveli opens today as public memorial

Cross at your own risk

Noida Authority cleans up city for ADB summit

Science students to get BTech degrees in DU’s 4-yr format