NHRC may or may not take a view on Aarushi case

NEW DELHI - The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), approached by counsel of the accused in the Aarushi murder case alleging torture by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), said they “may or may not” take a view on the case.

“The commission will take its due course of time to take a decision on the complaint. Since the case is already in the court, the commission may or may not take a view on the case,” an official of NHRC told IANS.

According to the official, Naresh Kumar Yadav, counsel for accused Rajkumar and Vijay Mandal filed a complaint to the NHRC Thursday alleging torture by the CBI while conducting the narco-analysis tests.

“Yadav said that the way in which the narco-analysis tests were conducted by the CBI on the accused, it seemed that there was an effort to put words in their mouth by the officers. The investigations, he said, were conducted in an inhuman manner by the team of doctors that made them go through physical and mental torture,” the NHRC official said.

The counsel added that he filed the complaint after a TV news channel aired footage of the narco-tests.

“The counsel has asked the commission for a fair enquiry and take action against the CBI officers who conducted the investigation and the doctors. Also, he asked for compensation (for) his clients,” the official added.

Teenager Aarushi Talwar was found murdered at her home in Noida on the outskirts of Delhi in May 2008. The family’s domestic help Hemraj, who was initially suspected, was himself found killed the next day.