On Tuesday, a court in Delhi formally accused Aaftab Poonawala of murder and attempting to conceal evidence in relation to the alleged killing of his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar. It is claimed that he chopped her body into 35 pieces.Poonawala was presented in front of the Saket court, where Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar declared the ruling.While the case was being heard, the ASJ conveyed the decision to Poonawala, who was being defended by his attorney.According to the ASJ, “You committed the act of killing Shraddha Walker after 6:30 am on May 18, 2022, and this action falls under the purview of Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which carries punishment.”Image source: tse1.mm.bing.netThe court determined that Poonawala, between May 18 and October 18, had cut up the body of Shraddha Walkar, knowing that a crime had been committed, with the intention of getting rid of evidence. He then disposed of her remains in various locations, including Chattarpur. The court concluded that he is guilty of the offence of disappearing evidence.When asked by the court whether he would plead guilty or not guilty to the charges, Poonawalas lawyer responded by saying, “We choose to stand trial.”The trial for the murder of Shraddha Walkar is scheduled to commence on June 1.Image source: Times.of.indiaIn January, the Delhi Police submitted a charge sheet consisting of 6,636 pages that included a combination of forensic and electronic evidence, along with 100 statements from witnesses.Poonawala has been charged with crimes under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing the disappearance of evidence of an offence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).Based on the chargesheet, Poonawala is accused of strangling Shraddha Walkar on May 18 of the previous year. He is alleged to have dismembered her body and stored the pieces in a refrigerator at his home in the Mehrauli area of south Delhi for nearly three weeks. Subsequently, he purportedly scattered the remains across Delhi, some of which have since been discovered.
