Aarushi case: Witness contests CBI claim of use of golf stick

Ghaziabad, July 12: Contradicting CBI's claim, forensic expert Dr RK Sharma on July 11 told the special court hearing the Aarushi case that the injury on the teenager's forehead could not have been caused with a golf stick as the nature of fracture would have been different.

The CBI had claimed that Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj had suffered grievous injuries after being hit on the head with a golf stick.

"In Aarushi's post-mortem report, line fracture was mentioned as injury number 1 (forehead). If a person is hit with a rod or hockey stick, it would cause such a fracture, while a depressed fracture is inflicted if a golf stick is used," Sharma, a witness for the dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, said while deposing before Additional Sessions Judge Shyam Lal.

Sharma was asked around 60 questions by CBI lawyer R K Saini during his cross-examination, which will continue on July 12.

"The cuts on Hemraj and Aarushi's throats were similar. The cut on Aarushi's throat was 8cm x 6cm. It is wrong to say that a khukari (a Nepalese knife) used with full force cannot inflict a deep slit on a throat. It depends on the force. Small sharp-edged weapon can make long cuts, but injury's depth will depend on blade's length, and it will be equal or less than the blade's length," he added.

"It is wrong to say that horizontal injuries cannot be made with khukari," Sharma told the court. Sharma also contested CBI's another claim that Aarushi's private parts were cleaned by Nupur, contending that if this was done, then some injuries would have been visible.

PTI