Aarushi Talwar

Status:

Open

Offense Location:

Noida, Uttar Pradesh

Summary:

Aarushi Talwar was a 13-year-old girl and Hemraj Banjade was a 45-year-old live-in domestic worker, both murdered on the night of 15–16 May 2008 at Aarushi's home in Noida, India. The case refers to the unsolved murders. In 2017, dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were acquitted by the Allahabad High Court, but the case remains unresolved.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

On 15 May 2008, Nupur Talwar worked at her clinic from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. Nupur's sister-in-law Vandana Talwar joined them for lunch. Then Nupur and Vandana left, while Aarushi stayed at home. Rajesh originally planned to give Aarushi a Sony DSC-W130 digital camera as a birthday present on 24 May, but Nupur persuaded Rajesh to give it to Aarushi that day as an early birthday surprise. Subsequently, Aarushi's parents retired to their room, while Aarushi remained in her room. Around midnight, Aarushi's friend Anmol tried calling her on her mobile as well as the Talwar residence's landline. Her body was found in a pool of blood lying on her bed, with her throat slit, on the morning of 16 May 2008. On 17 May 2008, investigators finally gained access to the locked terrace of the Talwar residence, where Hemraj's decomposed body was discovered.

Additional Details:

Rajesh Talwar was arrested on 23 May 2008 on suspicion of murdering both Aarushi and Hemraj. In June 2008, due to discontentment over Noida Police's probe, the CBI took over the case on orders of the Uttar Pradesh government. Rajesh Talwar along with the other domestic help, Krishna were arrested by the CBI. The CBI exonerated the parents and suspected the Talwars' assistant Krishna Thadarai and two domestic servants—Rajkumar and Vijay Mandal. In December 2010, the CBI submitted its closure report that stated that the murder case had no evidence and gave a clean chit to the servants, naming Rajesh Talwar as the prime suspect in the double murder. The special court rejected CBI's report and ordered trial against Aarushi's parents. Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were convicted of killing Aarushi and their Nepalese domestic help, Hemraj Banjade, by slitting their throats "with clinical precision" at their home on May 16, 2008. They have been found guilty of murder and destruction of evidence. The Allahabad High Court on Thursday acquitted Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in the murder of their teenage daughter Aarushi and their domestic help Hemraj in 2008, saying they could not be held guilty on the basis of the evidence on record. The verdict ends a nine-year ordeal of the parents, who were found guilty by a CBI court of murdering 14-year-old Aarushi. Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were released from a jail on Monday, four days after being acquitted in the murder of their only daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj in their apartment in Noida in 2008.

Case Last Updated:

Nov 02, 2026