Updated on Thursday, September 04, 2008, 00:00 IST

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi, Sept 04: In what has come as a shocker to the CBI, the Ghaziabad Court on Thursday granted bail to Vijay Mandal, one of the co-accused in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case, citing lack of sufficient evidence.

The bail has been granted against a bail bond of RS 25,000.

The CBI had opposed the bail plea of Vijay Mandal, Krishna and Raj Kumar, the three suspects in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case arguing that they might abscond if they get bail.

CBI said that it is still investigating the case while claiming that it has evidence to prove the trio's involvement. However, it said that those evidence would be revealed only after the narco and brain mapping reports come.

This disclosure is significant, as the CBI has to file the chargesheet within 90 days, i.e. by 10th September. But, it seems they still do not have enough evidence against the three accused.

As evidence in the murder case continues to haunt CBI, reports suggest that the agency may not be able to file its chargesheet by the September 10. The CBI had earlier claimed to have cracked the case on the basis of scientific tests of the accused but they are yet to get some corroborative evidence. CBI has even failed to trace the mobile phone of Arushi and the murder weapon.

Aarushi was found dead in her bedroom on May 16. The UP police initially blamed domestic help Hemraj but later backed away after his body was found a day later on the terrace of the flat.

Later, the police arrested Aarushi’s father Rajesh Talwar. The case was then handed over to the CBI, which did not find evidence against Talwar, leading to his release in July.