New Delhi/Lucknow, Sep 14 - Investigators can hope of finally solving the Aarushi Talwar murder case as the Noida teenager's mobile phone, a crucial piece of evidence that was missing for over a year, has been recovered from an Uttar Pradesh town, Delhi Police said Monday.

'Aarushi's cellphone was recovered by Delhi Police's Crime Branch and handed over to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation),' Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said.

He, however, did not say how and when the missing piece of evidence was found.

According to police, the Nokia N72 model was recovered from Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr town.

Bulandshahr Superintendent of Police (City) J.K. Sahi said a woman who once worked as maid for the Talwar family had passed it on to a resident of the Uttar Pradesh town.

Aarushi, 14, was found murdered in her Jalvayu Vihar apartment in Noida May 16, 2008.