Thaindian News

Noida, June 6 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Friday opened the sewer lines near the Noida home of Rajesh Talwar, arrested for the alleged murder of his teenaged daughter Aarushi and domestic help, to search for the murder weapon - but failed to make any “substantial find”. The search was conducted at Talwar’s Jalvayu Vihar residence in Sector-25. Sanitary workers opened all the manholes early in the morning, taking out the sludge which was sifted through for any metal articles.

CBI sources, on condition of anonymity, said “today’s attempt was futile, we could not recover any substantial article”.

“Searches were conducted in and around the house. Labourers were also hired to search the drains near the house for the murder weapon,” a CBI official said.

The search apparently followed a lie detector test Talwar was subjected to on Wednesday on suspicion that he knew about the missing murder weapon and the mobile phones of Aarushi and Hemraj, the domestic servant. The CBI claimed to have got vital clues during the test and let go off Talwar’s custody on Thursday.

During the lie detector test, also known as polygraph test, Talwar was reportedly composed.

“The lie-detector test was aimed at locating the weapon and to establish the sequence of events. Talwar was composed while answering most of the questions. We have sent for examination the physiological data collected during the test,” an official said.

According to CBI sources, the dentist gave ‘No’ as answer to most of the questions.

After failing to dig out the weapon of offence, the CBI is now depending on forensic reports.

The CBI has sent blood samples present on the scene of crime, suspected fingerprints, palm prints and other forensic evidence for examination. A forensic report is also awaited on the blood soaked blanket found on the body of Aarushi and some other clothing with blood stains that were seized from the house.

The computer, laptop and some other articles taken from the Talwar house were handed over by the Noida Police to the CBI. All the articles have been sent for forensic examination.

The sleuths said they had found discrepancies in the statements made by Talwar and his relatives about the May 15 double murder.

Aarushi, 14, was found dead in her Noida apartment with her throat slit on May 16 morning. The police initially named Hemraj the main accused, but backtracked after his body was found on the terrace of the apartment a day later.

Police arrested Talwar May 23, accusing him of killing his daughter in a fit of rage as he objected to her closeness to Hemraj. The police had said at the time that he first killed Hemraj and then his daughter. Talwar was Thursday sent to 14 days judicial custody. His bail plea will come up for hearing Saturday.