Noida Developments

Rajesh Talwar, the main accused in the murder of his daughter and servant, has said that he never confessed to the murders as was earlier projected by the police.

The police's version of events revolves around a poor father-daughter relationship which eventually pen ultimated into murder. His bail plea based on failing health grounds has been rejected and he has been sent to a three-day police remand. Meanwhile, Nupur Talwar has publicly defended her husband proclaiming his innocence in the matter.

A fortnight has gone by with little or no insight into the core of the matter. The most relevant issues being motive, the weapon used and the people involved. Police competency is indeed being tested and the results are rather disappointing thus far. Enough time has passed for petty speculation to continue and a clearer picture should have been presented by now.

Noida Decadence

The following is a sequence of events from that fateful night:

• Dr and Mrs Talwar returned home just before 10 pm and had dinner with their daughter by 10:30 pm.
• After dinner, a surprise gift for Aarushi from her parents, a camera arrived by courier.
• After giving Aarushi the gift in her room, the Talwars went to their own room.
• Mrs Talwar last saw their daughter when she went to their room at 11:15 pm to get some help with fixing the home Internet connection.
• But from this point details become unclear as the parents remained in their room.
• Police are not clear as to how and why Hemraj went to the terrace. Did he go there to collect clothes or was he called there?
• At 6 am in the morning when Hemraj was not found at home, the Talwars called his mobile.
• It rang but the call was cut. Police say they have identified the area to where the call was made.

Meanwhile, in a dramatic development on Friday May 23, Aarushi's father Rajesh Talwar was arrested as the prime accused behind the murder of his daughter and servant.

Noida Twin Homicide

In a bid to lay hands on the real culprit of the mysterious twin-murder of Arushi (14) on May 15 and Hemraj (45), servant of her house, hours later; Noida police have taken the dentist parents of Arushi, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar to a secluded place for questioning. The contradicting and fluctuating statements given by Arushi's parents to police have brought them under the scanner.

The most intriguing part of the episode is the contradicting claims and revelations made by the NOIDA Police itself. Within no time after the killing of Arushi came to light, the police announced a cash reward for nabbing Hemraj, who was instantaneously projected as the main accused in the murder of the girl. Here, police did not even fulfil the basics of investigation. The police did not bother doing a routine search of Talwar's house. Nor did the police quiz the Talwar couple as to how they concluded that Hemraj was the culprit behind the murder.

Again, when the body of Hemraj was recovered, police threw up the name of Vishnu Thapa, the erstwhile servant of the Talwar family and a relative of Hemraj as the main accused. Subsequently, they arrested a person whose identity is yet to be established.

Jaipur Developments

The police have released several sketches of possible suspects based on eye witness accounts. Meanwhile, the attack has been linked to a Bangladesh based group. Consequently, illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the state of Rajasthan are in for a trying time as the local Government has vowed deportation.



Further, the tourism industry of the state has quite naturally taken a beating as most hotels and resorts in the state have reported below average occupancy in the days following the attacks. The Government will have to act fast to restore the image of the state in the wake of these attacks.

Terror at the Pink City

Terror struck Jaipur (the Pink City) for the first time on Tuesday evening, May 13, as serial blasts killed at least 60 people and injured more than 150. Starting around 7.30 p.m. there were nine or 10 blasts within 15 minutes at six crowded places, including in the vicinity of two Hanuman temples, in the Walled City area.

Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria confirmed 60 dead and 150 injured though unofficial sources said the casualties could be higher.

Eyewitnesses said they could count 60 bodies in the overflowing mortuary of the City’s leading hospital, Sawai Man Singh. Some bodies were reportedly kept in the satellite hospital, Kanwatia, and a private hospital, Santokbha Durlabhji Memorial.

The blasts caused panic in the entire city while the authorities sealed off the Walled City. No traffic was allowed through its historic gates. The communication system also was jammed with mobiles not giving out signals.

Director-General Police A.S. Gill told this correspondent that forensic experts were still verifying the nature of the explosives. He did not confirm the use of RDX but said high intensity explosives were used in the bombs.

The blasts outside the temples targeted the devotees who gather in large numbers on Tuesdays. One temple is at Sanganeri Gate, while the other is at Chandpole.

The Chandpole blast was said to be of less intensity while the explosion on Maniharon ka Rasta near the victory tower, Sargasuli at Tripolia, was the most powerful.

The explosions at Bari Chauper near the world famous Hawa Mahal claimed at least three lives.

One of the bombs went off near a popular eating-place, Laxmi Mishtan Bhandar, in the crowded Johari Bazar area. Another exploded near the Kothwali police station at Choti Chauper. There are also reports that at least one live bomb was recovered near Chandpole.

Initial reports suggested that the terrorists used vehicles, including a car, cyclerickshaws and autorickshaws to plant the bombs, which were detonated with remote-controlled devices.

Incest Horror

wretched father...

The Fritzl incest case came to light in late April 2008 when a 42-year-old Austrian woman, Elisabeth Fritzl, told police that she had been sexually abused, raped, and physically assaulted by her father, Josef Fritzl, since 1977 and had been imprisoned by him since 1984. Austrian police say her father kept her for 24 years in a small soundproofed cellar with four beds and a bathroom. It extended beneath the family house in a village near the town of Amstetten in Lower Austria. In that cellar, she gave birth to a total of seven children (including twins, one of whom died) all of whom had been fathered by Josef. Three of them had been imprisoned with their mother their whole lives when they were found—daughter Kerstin and sons Stefan and Felix, who were aged 19, 18, and 5, respectively. The other three (Lisa, Monika, and Alexander) were cared for by Josef and his wife Rosemarie, and lived in the house upstairs.

Delhi's Soaring Crime Stats

Four murders that took place in Delhi on Thursday (May 1) are the latest in a series of crimes that have earned Delhi the dubious distinction as nation's crime capital.




Among the 35 major cities in India, Delhi tops the list of number of reported crime cases for five years in a row. Delhi leads in almost all violent crimes including murder, dowry deaths, rape, molestation and abduction.




According to official figures, Delhi witnessed 134 murders and 119 attempts on life during the first three months of the year. At least 20 murders were registered in the city in April. This is in addition to the number of cases that go unreported.




The annual crime statistics compiled by the Delhi police reveals that 467 murders, 499 attempted murders, 581 rapes and 1764 dacoities were registered in the city during 2007.There was a 200 percent increase in cyber crimes, including credit card frauds, in 2007.

Linked to this trend of crimes against women was an overwhelming sense of individualisation, manifested in a culture of non-intervention. Therefore, we have a society which is totally silent and non-interventionist. Why is it that in Delhi young girls in buses don't find any support when they are harassed? People get emboldened when they see such social silence around them.

There is almost a voyeuristic element in the passivity of the denizens of Delhi and it is here that the role of the Delhi Police becomes vital. University students feel that often the police themselves were found to be indulging in mild forms of ogling or eve-teasing or appeared completely non-serious about their responsibilities.