Date:13/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/13/stories/2008091361881300.htm

National

3 released on bail in Aarushi murder case

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Krishna and Raj Kumar, accused in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case, were granted bail by separate courts in neighbouring Ghaziabad on Friday as the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) failed to file the charge sheet against them during the stipulated 90-day period. The third accused is already out on bail.

The bail application of Raj Kumar came up for hearing in the CBI court of Rama Jain. The prosecution submitted that he should not be given bail as it might jeopardise the ongoing investigations. The CBI also said as Raj Kumar was a Nepalese citizen, he could flee the country and might try to destroy the evidence against him. Raj Kumar’s counsel argued that the agency had no material evidence against him and so he should be released on bail.

Bail conditions

After hearing the arguments, the court granted bail to Raj Kumar directing him to furnish two sureties of Rs.25,000 each and a personal bond for a like amount.

Krishna’s bail application was moved in the court of Sapna Mishra later in the day. The CBI counsel did not turn up and the court granted Krishna bail on his furnishing two sureties of Rs.25,000 each and a personal bond for a like amount. The third accused, Vijay Mandal, was granted bail on September 4.

Krishna was released from the Dasna Jail in the evening on completion of paper work. However, Raj Kumar is expected to be released only on Monday as his relatives could not arrange the money to furnish the sureties and his personal bond.

Krishna, compounder of Dr. Rajesh Talwar, and Raj Kumar, domestic help of the dentist’s family friends, the Durranis, were arrested by the CBI on June 13 and June 27, respectively, on the basis of alleged disclosures made by them during their narco-analysis and other scientific tests.