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My husband is innocent: Nupur Talwar

Noida: Nupur Talwar, wife of dentist Rajesh Talwar, who was arrested on Friday for allegedly killing his daughter and a domestic help, claimed on Saturday that he was totally innocent and that she would fight his battle for justice.

Ms. Talwar also denied that there was an illicit relationship between her husband and Anita Durrani, a dental surgeon. Police said the alleged affair was one of the reasons for the twin murder. “There is no such thing,” she told NDTV.

Ms. Talwar said: “With all conviction I can say it [the murder] can’t be the way it is suggested [by the police]. He was a doting father. In fact I used to feel that I had done something good in the past to be part of such a wonderful family. I have faith in the legal system and I have faith in God,” she said.

Ms. Talwar, who is also a dentist, said she could not believe that her husband could be behind the murders.

“It is not possible, just not possible. The killer is out there somewhere. We will have to fight it out in court. The truth is there. The truth has to come out.”

Speaking in public for the first time since the May 15 murder, Ms. Talwar said they were a very close-knit family and on the night of the murder, the family had food and watched television together like any other family before going to sleep.

“I have been in the house. Is such a thing possible? Can any mother sleep throughout ... I think it is beyond anybody’s imagination. Utter nonsense, baseless nonsense. They [police] can say whatever they want. I know it is not true. God knows it is not true,” she said.

Asked whether she, as a mother, could be part of a cover-up to save her husband from the law, she said: “Would any mother do that? Then I don’t think she is a mother. She is not a human being. She is an animal. Even a father would not do it.”

On the police charge of extra-marital relationship between Mr. Talwar and Ms. Durrani, she said, Ms. Durrani was like an extended family.

“I have known her since Aarushi was born. Her daughter may be six months older than Aarushi. Her daughter and my daughter were like sisters. Whenever we have had medical problems, her husband [Praful] would come and give medicines. Even when Rajesh gets asthmatic attacks, the first to be called is Praful. In fact, we never had a family doctor. Praful was our doctor,” she said.

On domestic help Hemraj, who the police claimed had developed a relationship with Aarushi, Ms. Talwar said he was a person whom she trusted. “He was 45 years, turning grey, elderly. How happy he was that Aarushi had eaten ‘palak paneer’ for the first time … He cared for her,” she said and denied suggestions of an intimate relationship between Hemraj and Aarushi.

“It is not true at all. We knew everything about Aarushi, she also went through what teenagers normally go through,” she said.

Ms. Talwar said her husband never uttered a word to Aarushi and whatever he wanted to say, he always conveyed it through her. “It [Aarushi’s murder by him] is not possible. I know Rajesh. He had a lot of patience. He was one of the most gentle souls. It is unimaginable. I hope the person [murderer] would be caught,” she said.

Asked who could be the killer, she said she had no idea. “First when the murder came to light, I thought that it was the servant. But when his body was recovered, then I thought probably it was some enmity the servant had with someone.”

Recalling the events the night before Aarushi was murdered, Ms. Talwar said her husband had bought a camera for the girl’s 14th birthday (which incidentally was on Saturday) and both of them took it to her room. She wanted to give it to Aarushi the same day but Rajesh wanted to wait till the birthday.

Ms. Talwar said Aarushi kept calling her friends to know who were coming for the birthday party.

“I will not just sit back and see. I will fight for justice and for my family’s name,” she said. — PTI

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