Delhi’s Saket Court on Thursday commenced trial in the Shraddha Walkar murder case against accused Aftab Poonawala and recorded the statement of three prosecution witnesses including Shraddha’s brother.
Shraddha Walker’s brother Shreejay Walkar, an auto driver and deceased’s neighbour in the Chhatarpur area deposed statements as prosecution witnesses before the Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar. Testifying as the prosecution witness in the matter, Shraddha Walker’s brother Shreejay Walker, apprised the court about the incidents related to Shraddha and Aftab.
The deceased’s neighbour Kusum Lata, who worked in a hospital, apprised the court of the facts related to the shifting of Aftab and Shraddha opposite her house in the Chhatarpur area. Manish Kumar Rathore, an auto driver, was deposed as the first prosecution witness in the case.
Delhi’s Saket Court slated for a July 12 cross-examination of three prosecution witnesses including Shraddha Walker’s brother Shreejay. Shraddha Walkar was murdered by Aftab in the Mehrauli area on May 18, 2022. Her body parts were thrown into the jungle of the Chhatarpur Pahadi area. He was arrested in November 2022.
On May 9, Saket Court framed charges of murder and disappearance of evidence against Aftab Poonawala in the Shraddha Walkar murder case. The Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar said that Aftab Poonawala was charged under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), in the Delhi Police’s chargesheet filed on January 24. The accused Aftab Poonawala pled not guilty before the court and asked for a trial.
Delhi Police’s Chargesheet
Delhi Police, in its charge sheet, provided detailed information about the brutal murder of Shraddha Walkar and the circumstances surrounding how the accused, Aftab Poonawala, carried out the crime. The police have also detailed Aftab’s activities after the murder, including his execution of plans to dispose of Shraddha’s body.
The chargesheet reveals how the accused strangled Shraddha and how he disposed of the body parts one by one. The Delhi Police charge sheet disclosed that Aftab was aggressive and used to beat Shraddha on petty issues.
According to the charge sheet, on May 18, 2022 evening, Shraddha was murdered. Then he bought one saw, three blades, a hammer and plastic clips to cut her body parts and dispose of them. He also bought a refrigerator to store them to avoid the stench. The police charge sheet said that the accused shifted the body to the bathroom and cut the body into 17 pieces. On the first day, he cut her wrist and hand. He used to dispose of the body parts one by one.
The police charge sheet said that Aftab sat on Shraddha’s chest and strangled her to death. He then chopped her body into pieces and stored them in the kitchen and fridge.
Aftab said, according to the charge sheet, “Shraddha learnt that I had affairs with other girls. She came to know that I used to talk to other girls on Bumble app which led to arguments between us. She had known that I was cheating on her but as we used to drink together, we would solve our issues.”
He confessed, as per the charge sheet, that he “wanted to get rid of her habit of hurling abuses and decided to kill her. I pushed her on the floor and sat on her chest. I pressed her throat until she died. I chopped her body into pieces and packed it into bags.”
[with inputs from ANI]
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