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Shraddha murder case: Aftab to be produced before court through video conferencing
A Delhi Court on Thursday allowed an application submitted by the Delhi Police for the appearance of Shraddha Walker murder case accused Aftab Amin Poonawala video conferencing due to the security and sensitivity of the case. Read on for details:
New Delhi: A Delhi Court on Thursday allowed an application submitted by the Delhi Police for the appearance of Aftab Amin Poonawala, who is accused of strangling his live-in partner Shraddha Walker to death and chopping her body into 35 pieces, through video conferencing due to the security and sensitivity of the case.
Metropolitan Magistrate Aviral Shukla allowed the application after considering the facts submitted by the police. "As per the information, some religious and miscreants may attack the accused. Under these circumstances, it would not be appropriate to produce the accused in the courtroom," Delhi Police submitted.
After considering the application, the judge said, "I am aware of the public sentiment attached to the case. I am also aware of the media coverage and sensitivity of the matter. In the interest of justice, the application for appearance through video conferencing is allowed."
While the court was hearing the application, lawyers were protesting outside the courtroom and raising slogans against Aftab. They were raising the slogan "Shraddha ke hatyare ko fansi do, fansi do" (Hang the murderer of Shraddha).
The court, thereafter, said that the application for seeking an extension of police custody will be taken up through VC.
Aftab was arrested on Saturday after Delhi police started probing into a missing complaint filed by Shraddha's father Vikas Walker. He had attempted to dupe the police of Delhi and Mumbai in the initial days of the investigation.
Making a huge claim in the Shraddha Walker murder case, Delhi Police sources on Thursday said that the accused Aftab Poonawalla had charred his live-in partner's face to hide her identity. The Delhi Police sources claimed that he had first chopped her body into 35 pieces, then burnt her face in such a way that it becomes unidentifiable even if the body parts are discovered.
"During the interrogation, Aftab revealed that he had learnt about all this on the internet, and also about how to hide the body from everyone's reach," the sources claimed.
In yet another loop in the Shraddha Walker murder case, the Southern District Police of Delhi has contacted their eastern counterparts in a bid to match the DNA sample of chopped body parts including a human head which the latter had recovered earlier in June.
According to the sources, the East Delhi Police had found a chopped head and hand in the Trilokpuri area of Pandav Nagar police station area of the national capital in June this year, which was nearly a month after Shraddha was murdered (on May 18).
In the East Delhi case, the police were not able to ascertain whose body parts they were because of the tampered state of the recovered body parts. The body parts found in East Delhi were sent for a DNA test, and the forensic report will be coming soon. The bones found in Mehrauli forests have also been sent for a DNA test. The police will match the DNA report of all the pieces found at both these places and will try to ascertain if the found body parts were of Shraddha, the sources said.
The Southern District Police has contacted the Eastern District Police in this regard. The East District Police has handed over all the information to the South District Police.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has come across a fresh lead in the investigation of the Shraddha Walker murder case, in which they have found a pending water bill in accused Aftab Poonawalla's flat, given the circumstances that 20,000 litres of water in Delhi is provided free by the government, according to the sources.
According to the sources, the police received information from the neighbours of Aftab that he has an outstanding water bill of Rs 300. It has also been revealed that the accused used to order food online after committing the crime.
According to the bill found at home, he ordered two burgers worth Rs.650. Also, he used not to go outside even for tea. Earlier, Aftab had told police that before the murder there was a fight between the couple over the shifting of household items from Mumbai.
Police investigation revealed that the couple had a fight on May 18 during which Aftab killed Shraddha. Delhi Police sources said the May 18 quarrel was not the first time, Aftab and Shraddha were fighting for three years. (ANI)