Talvar: sharp or rusty?

It was supposed to be just another movie on just another day, but it was more. It could have been a yet another movie which touched a chord and left a fleeting inspiration, but it was much more. It was special, and very disturbing. I distinctly remember feeling angry, helpless, very angry, very helpless. Both directly and vicariously. I wished for a magic wand to be able to bring out the real truth once and for all. I wished to be in a country where truth could prevail without magic wands!

The whole country was shocked by the Aarushi Talwar – Hemraj double murder case. It has been 7 years and we still don’t know for sure who the real killers are. What we know is that Aarushi’s parents are deemed guilty and are put behind bars for life. Even if you knew some of the case facts, could you put your hand on your heart and say that they killed their only daughter? It’s for you to answer. I know what my heart feels.

I know what my brain feels too! Since watching the movie, I have done my own research – read several articles, interviews, read the book, went through the 210 page judgement. There are many open questions, I am asking only 5.

1. Can we so easily discard the narco tests of three separate individuals bringing out more or less the same story independently? And what about those of the parents indicating they had no knowledge of the crime?

2. Can we imagine a criminal contesting a closure report which says that it does not have enough evidence to charge them and requesting for investigation to continue?

3. Can we imagine a criminal finding and handing over the murder weapon themselves to CBI?

4. Can we be so sure that a 14 year old girl was found in a compromising position with her 45 year old servant when there is no evidence of him being present in her room that night?

5. Can we imagine that parents would kill their only daughter out of rage, first by hitting her with a golf club and then slitting her throat just to be extra sure?

I am not sure who is guilty and who is not, my opinions and feelings do not have a legal standing. But I am sure that there is enough fuzziness for a “reasonable doubt”. The logic and evidence provided is far away from being able to overcome the presumption “innocent until proven guilty”. And if they were actually innocent, just imagine what they have been going through for the last 7 years!

Some friends ask me why this affects me so much, surely there are hundreds of more burning issues is the country – corruption, crime, religious intolerance, quota, dowry, etc. I don’t know for sure. One, I can’t help but think what if this happened to me. I would not have the courage to bear it. Two, in all other cases I can attribute the injustice to politics, somebody’s greed or lust for power. Who do I attribute this one to? To our incompetent investigations or to our society’s inherent desire for a spicy story or to our irresponsible media for pandering to such society? You tell me.

Anand Gautam

16^th October 2015