A Delhi court has directed the framing of charges against Aftab Amin Poonawala, who stands accused of murdering his live-in partner, Shraddha Walkar, and dismembering her body. The Saket Court has charged Poonawala under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code. Despite denying the charges against him, Aftab has claimed a trial in the case. The court has set June 1 as the date for recording the prosecution’s evidence.
During the hearing, the Delhi Police presented sufficient evidence, leading the Saket Court to prima facie conclude that a case of murder (302) and destruction of evidence is made out against Aftab. On April 29, Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar adjourned the hearing, citing the concerned judge’s leave, according to PTI.
In addition to the framing of charges, the hearing on an application filed by Walkar’s father requesting the remains of the woman be handed over to the family for last rites was also adjourned. The court has scheduled a hearing on May 9 for this application.
The Delhi Police booked Aftab under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offense) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and filed a 6,629-page charge sheet on January 24, according to PTI.
On May 18, 2022, Shraddha Walker was allegedly strangled by Aftab Poonawala, following which the accused sawed her body into many pieces and kept them in a fridge for more than two weeks at his residence in Delhi’s Mehrauli. To avoid the risk of being caught, Poonawala scattered the body parts of Walkar at different places in the national capital.
The brutal murder shook the public, and new details continued to emerge even weeks after the crime came to light.