Rajesh Talwar attacked by youth outside court

Ghaziabad, Jan 25 (PTI) Rajesh Talwar, father ofmurdered teenager Aarushi, was today attacked and injuredoutside a court here by a 30-year-old man, who had earlierallegedly stabbed former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore, a convict inthe Ruchika molestation case.

54-year-old Talwar, who had gone to the court to filea petition demanding a fresh probe by the CBI in theAarushi-Hemraj murder case, was rushed to a hospital by hislawyers after the attack which left him profusely bleedingfrom the left side of the head, eyewitnesses said.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Ghaziabad, RaghubirLal said Talwar was recuperating and out of danger.

Lal identified the attacker as Utsav Sharma, aresident of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh who had come here fromDelhi.

"He is the same person who had attacked SPS Rathoreoutside a Panchkula court in February last year," he said.

Rathore was stabbed by Sharma, who was then a student of theprestigious National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad with apen knife, injuring him in the cheek as he came out of court.

In a similar modus operandi, police said Sharmaattacked Talwar with a cleaver as he came out of the court andwas moving towards a photocopying shop in the court premises.

In the midst of the commotion, the youth wasapprehended by a bystander and taken into custody by policepersonnel who took him to a lock-up in the court premises.

Soon after the incident, some bystanders in the courtpremises slapped and punched Sharma even as lawyers raisedslogans against the police.

Sharma, who was being interrogated by the police,apparently claimed that he was upset at the slow progress inthe Aarushi-Hemraj murder case and his intention was only toinjure Talwar.

Giving details of the attacker, Lal said "Utsav haddone a PG in animation in film designing from NID and had cometo Delhi to take part in the International India Art Summit inPragati Maidan".

He had bought a cleaver from Chandni Chowk in Delhifor Rs 250 and was monitoring the case through the TV andnewspapers, Lal said quoting Sharma as having told police.

"He came by bus and had kept the weapon in a bag. Hesat at a tea stall and when he saw Rajesh, attacked him twice.

He has been arrested under 307 IPC (attempt to murder)," Lalsaid.

Police sources also said that he wanted to get mediaattention. .