The Delhi Police on Saturday said Aaftab Amin Poonawala, who is accused of strangling his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and chopping her body into pieces, had the requisite knowledge of disbursement, handling, and preservation of flesh due to his profession as a chef, and that the circumstantial evidence is strong and points to his guilt in Walkar’s murder.
The police made the arguments during a hearing at Delhi’s Saket court. As per the chargesheet submitted in the case, Aaftab Poonawala is accused of strangling Shraddha Walkar on May 18 last year and dismembering her body into multiple pieces. He allegedly kept these body parts in a refrigerator at his residence in Mehrauli, located in south Delhi, for almost three weeks.
The police have argued that Aaftab Poonawala, being a trained chef, possessed the necessary knowledge of disbursement, handling, and preservation of flesh. They have also stated that he had a particular expertise in handling knives.
Circumstantial Evidence
The police on Saturday argued that since the incident came to light almost six months later, most of the traces of crime were destructed, and thus, the case is solely based on circumstantial evidence. They have argued that the complete chain of interconnected facts and circumstances lead to the inescapable logical conclusion that the accused committed the crime.
“The circumstantial evidence is strong enough to establish the guilt of the accused and establishes that Aaftab murdered Shraddha,” the police told the court.
Order Reserved
The court on Saturday reserved its order on framing charges of murder and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code against Aaftab Poonawala. Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar has posted the matter to April 29.
Shraddha Walkar’s Father Moves Court
Shraddha Walkar’s father, Vikas Walkar has filed an application in court requesting the release of his daughter’s bones to perform the last rites.
Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad said the Delhi Police will file a reply on the application on the next date of hearing, according to PTI.
On Monday, Vikas Walkar had expressed concerns about “loopholes” in the investigation into his daughter’s murder and called for authorities to focus on Aaftab’s parents, who he believes are being kept “hidden.”
He further said Aaftab should be given the death penalty and loopholes in the probe and proceedings are delaying the case. “He ( Aftab Poonawalla) should be given the death penalty. He is guilty. He committed this crime with full planning. There are loopholes in the investigation and proceedings due to which the case is delayed,” he was quoted as saying.
Walkar’s father has also urged for a fast-track court to hear the murder case in a time-bound manner, emphasising the interest of justice. His lawyer, Seema Kushwaha, had said she planned to file a petition in the Delhi High Court for expedited proceedings.
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