Aarushi murder case: Supreme Court grants bail to Nupur Talwar but has to be in jail for 7 more days

NEW DELHI: Dentist Nupur Talwar, who has been in jail for over four months in the twin murder case of her daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj, was today granted bail by the Supreme Court which directed her to be released by September 25.

In view of ongoing trial in which the CBI is examining the witnesses, a bench of justices A K Patnaik and J S Khehar said that Nupur be released next week and directed the investigating agency to complete examining its witnesses by Septmeber 25.

"We ask the trial court to allow one week time to CBI to examine the remaining material witnesses. If they are not examined then trial court shall release the petitioner by September 25," the bench said.

Nupur, who has been in jail for 139 days since her surrender before the Ghaziabad court on April 30, had moved the apex court challenging the Allahabad High Court's order which had on May 31 dismissed her plea for bail. The trial court had on May 2 rejected Nupur's bail plea.

Her dentist husband Rajesh Talwar, who is a co-acused in the case, has already been granted bail on July 11, 2008 by the trial court.

14-year-old Aarushi was found dead in her bedroom at the Talwar's residence in Jalvayu Vihar, Noida, on the intervening night of May 16-17, 2008. The body of Hemraj was found on May 17 on the terrace.

Opposing the bail plea, Additional Solicitor General Siddharth Luthra contended that the CBI has already examined nine out of 13 witnesses and only two witnesses remain to be examined as it has dropped two witnesses because they are not traceable. It assured the court that trial would be completed by the end of this year.