Aarushi Talwar

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

On the morning of May 16, 2008, Aarushi Talwar (May 24, 1993 - May 15, 2008), the 14-year-old daughter of a successful dentist couple, was found dead with her throat slit in her parents'home at Jalvayu Vihar in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Suspicion immediately fell on the family's live-in man-servant, Yam Prasad Banjade alias Hemraj, a 45-yr-old Nepalese national, who was found missing from the home. Immediately declaring Hemraj as the prime suspect, the Noida police announced a reward for information leading to Hemraj's apprehension and arrest. In addition, a police party was dispatched to his hometown in Nepal, in hopes of apprehending him there.
A post-mortem was conducted on Aarushi's body on May 17, 2008, after which it was cremated. Her parents took her ashes to the holy city of Haridwar for immersion in the waters of the Ganges. A retired Noida police officer, accompanying a relative of the Talwars, happened to visit the Talwars' home to express his condolences, and during his visit, detected blood stains on the stairs leading to the terrace of the flat. Following the trail of blood, Noida police detected the dead body of the missing domestic help, Hemraj, on the terrace. After a disorganised, long-drawn and completely bungled up investigation, the police finally arrested Dr. Rajesh Talwar, the father of the deceased girl, on May 23, 2008, charging him with having committed the double murder. His wife, Dr. Nupur Talwar, stoutly defended her husband, accused the Noida police of framing him, and requested Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The Central Bureau of Investigation took over the investigation into the murders of Aarushi and Hemraj on June 1, 2008, forming a 25-member team in a resolute attempt to crack the case. As soon as CBI moved in to take over the case, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati promptly gave transfer orders to senior police officers that comprised part of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that had previously been in charge of the investigation, including the Noida Senior Superintendent of Police, Satish Ganesh, and Meerut Inspector General, Gurdarshan Singh. In addition, the deputation of CBI officer Arun Kumar, formerly a member of the Uttar Pradesh Police, who was in charge of the investigation also ended in July, 2008..