Talwar out of danger, assailant questioned: Police

GHAZIABAD - Rajesh Talwar, the father of murdered teen Aarushi who was attacked outside a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court here Tuesday, “is out of danger” and the assailant is being questioned in the matter, police said.

“Talwar was hospitalised and is out of danger. The attacker has been identified as Utsav Sharma and is being questioned about why he attacked Talwar,” Senior Superintendent of Police-Ghaziabad Raghuvir Lal told reporters here.

“Utsav is being booked under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to murder) and the National Security Act since the crime has occurred in the court premises,” he said.

“He’s mentally okay. Through interrogation we have concluded (that) he’s not mentally ill,” he added.

According to Lal, Utsav is a resident of Nawada Lanka in Varanasi and came to Delhi two days back to attend a fair in the capital.

Talwar was seriously injured after Utsav attacked him with a sharp-edged cleaver outside the court in full view of hundreds of people.

The attack took place as Talwar was walking out of court after filing a protest petition against the CBI’s closure report on the case.

The court has adjourned the hearing to Feb 8. It has also ordered in-camera proceedings of the case.

Aarushi, 14, was found murdered under mysterious circumstances in her parents’ Jalvayu Vihar apartment in Noida May 16, 2008. Their domestic help Hemraj was initially suspected for the killing, but his body was found on the flat’s terrace a day later.

Rajesh Talwar was arrested soon after the murders but let off when investigators could not find evidence to nail him.