Indian dentist arrested for killing daughter

Noida: In a sordid crime drama that rocked the heart of middle class India, a dentist father was on Friday arrested for brutally killing his 15-year-old daughter Aarushi Talwar and his domestic help Hemraj - allegedly following a quarrel over his extramarital affair with a fellow doctor.

Rajesh Talwar killed his daughter because she had stumbled upon his affair, said Gurdarshan Singh, inspector general of police, Meerut range.

Talwar's wife Nupur and his alleged lover Anita Durrani are also dentists.

"From the evidence we have, Talwar was having an extramarital affair which Aarushi knew about. Hemraj also knew about it and spread the word among his friends. This angered Talwar," Gurdarshan Singh said at a news conference.

"Hemraj also told his friends of a threat to his life. Had he informed the police, the crimes would not have taken place," the police officer said, adding that the affluent dentist was the prime accused in the double murder.

"The prime accused is Rajesh Talwar who killed his daughter and his servant. Talwar has been arrested. The investigations are on," Gurdarshan Singh said.

Aarushi, a Class 9 student of Delhi Public School (Noida), was found dead with her throat slit and multiple stab injuries on her face, chest and neck on May 16.

Gurdarshan Singh said: "Aarushi used to discuss her father's extramarital relations with Hemraj."

"That [May 15] night, when her father came home, he saw the two in the bedroom sitting close but they were not in a compromising position. He was enraged and took Hemraj to the terrace and hit him on the head with a heavy weapon and then slit his throat. He then placed the cover of the water cooler over the body.

"He then came down, locked the terrace and slit his daughter's throat," the officer said.

Gurdarshan Singh said: "We have solid proof. "We are not relying just on [Talwar's] confession.