Indian netizens launch online petition to reopen Aarushi Talwar case

Nearly a month after the movie ‘Talvar’ released and eight months after journalist Avirook Sen published the book ‘Aarushi’, netizens have launched a signature campaign to urge the chief justice of India to reopen the case and provide a “fair” trial.

Titled “Fast-track justice for Talwars: Aarushi's parents” the campaign had collected 13,895 signatures at the time of writing this article.

“I sincerely hope someone's listening,” Sen told Emirates24|7.

“This is a special case, where the principles seem to be unreasonable suspicion rather than reasonable doubt; presumption of guilt, rather than innocence. These must be addressed. Now.”

The slain teenaged girl’s parents (Rajesh and Nupur) were sentenced to life by a court in Ghaziabad (India) in November 2013 after finding them guilty of murdering her and their house-help.

Both the movie and the book, hint at a miscarriage of justice.

Director Meghna Gluzar’s movie is well researched and devoid of any melodrama (read: Bollywood review: Irrfan Khan lends grit, dignity and wit to 'Talvar'https://www.emirates247.com/entertainment/films-music/bollywood-review-irrfan-khan-lends-grit-dignity-and-wit-to-talvar-2015-10-01-1.605307)

Sen’s well-researched book explores how the judicial process appears influenced by perception and not evidence. (Read: Why Avirook Sen believes Aarushi's parents didn't kill her https://www.emirates247.com/entertainment/why-avirook-sen-believes-aarushi-s-parents-didn-t-kill-her-2015-09-25-1.604576)

In May 2008, Aarushi was found dead in her bedroom. Two days later, house-help Hemraj was found lifeless and bloodied on their terrace. The UP police had initially suspected the house-help of Aarushi’s murder, but after his body was discovered, the onus shifted to her parents. The father was imprisoned.

The investigation shifted to the CBI, whose investigation lead to some Nepali boys who worked in neighbouring apartments. The father was released, but a new CBI team came on board, and the accusation moved back to the father, and the initial “honour killing” theory was flagged.

The Indian media was equally divided on the Talwars, with some pronouncing their guilt, while others insisting on their innocence.

This campaign hopes to “ensure a fast-track and impartial trial for Rajesh and Nupur Talwar re-examining the entire evidence available from a neutral point of view”.

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