Rajesh and Nupur Talwar could face death penalty for killing girl, 14, and housekeeper, in case that has gripped India
Two married dentists have been convicted of killing their 14-year-old daughter and the family's housekeeper in a case, that has transfixed India since the girl was found with her throat slit in 2008.
Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, from the New Delhi suburb of Noida, will be sentenced on Tuesday and could face the death penalty. They said they were "hurt and anguished" by the verdict and would appeal.
The double murder in a suburban pocket of the capital became one of the most closely watched whodunnits in recent memory in India. "Everybody turned against us," said Vandana Talwar, a family member, blaming the media, police and the court following a case that has lasted more than five years. "We have only the truth on our side."
There were missteps in the investigation from the start. In the hours after the teenager, Aarushi, was found dead in her bedroom, police named the Talwars' missing Nepali housekeeper, Hemraj, as the prime suspect. They dispatched a team to Nepal to look for him.
But the housekeeper's body was discovered lying on a terrace above Aarushi's room. It had been there the whole time.
The Talwars came under suspicion early on, and police said the manner of the girl's death suggested she had been killed with surgical precision, a clear nod to the Talwars' medical profession.
"The way in which Aarushi's throat was cut points out that it was the work of some professional, who could be a doctor or a butcher," a senior police official, Brij Lal, told reporters in 2008.
Police have offered several possible motives, including an "honour" killing. Although authorities questioned other possible suspects, the case stalled. In 2011 the Talwars demanded a fresh investigation.
Rebecca John, the Talwars' lawyer, told the Indian news channel NDTV that the couple were "deeply disappointed" by the verdict. John said she had drawn the court's attention to the botched investigation of the case. "We will appeal against the verdict within 60 days," John said.
The couple, who had been free on bail, were arrested and taken to a nearby jail soon after the judge delivered the guilty verdict, she said. Reported by guardian.co.uk 1 day ago.
Two married dentists have been convicted of killing their 14-year-old daughter and the family's housekeeper in a case, that has transfixed India since the girl was found with her throat slit in 2008.
Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, from the New Delhi suburb of Noida, will be sentenced on Tuesday and could face the death penalty. They said they were "hurt and anguished" by the verdict and would appeal.
The double murder in a suburban pocket of the capital became one of the most closely watched whodunnits in recent memory in India. "Everybody turned against us," said Vandana Talwar, a family member, blaming the media, police and the court following a case that has lasted more than five years. "We have only the truth on our side."
There were missteps in the investigation from the start. In the hours after the teenager, Aarushi, was found dead in her bedroom, police named the Talwars' missing Nepali housekeeper, Hemraj, as the prime suspect. They dispatched a team to Nepal to look for him.
But the housekeeper's body was discovered lying on a terrace above Aarushi's room. It had been there the whole time.
The Talwars came under suspicion early on, and police said the manner of the girl's death suggested she had been killed with surgical precision, a clear nod to the Talwars' medical profession.
"The way in which Aarushi's throat was cut points out that it was the work of some professional, who could be a doctor or a butcher," a senior police official, Brij Lal, told reporters in 2008.
Police have offered several possible motives, including an "honour" killing. Although authorities questioned other possible suspects, the case stalled. In 2011 the Talwars demanded a fresh investigation.
Rebecca John, the Talwars' lawyer, told the Indian news channel NDTV that the couple were "deeply disappointed" by the verdict. John said she had drawn the court's attention to the botched investigation of the case. "We will appeal against the verdict within 60 days," John said.
The couple, who had been free on bail, were arrested and taken to a nearby jail soon after the judge delivered the guilty verdict, she said. Reported by guardian.co.uk 1 day ago.