Shraddha Walkar Case: Delhi Court Directs Framing Murder Charges Against Aftab, Trial Begins On June 1

A Delhi court on Tuesday directed police to frame murder, disappearance of evidence charges against accused Aftab Amin Poonawala in the Shraddha Walkar murder case.

Shraddha Murder Case: Delhi's Saket court directs the framing of charges against accused Aftab Amin Poonawala under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code. According to ANI, the accused Aftab has denied the charges against him and claimed a trial in the case. The matter has been listed for June 1 when the prosecution's evidence will be recorded. Aftab is accused of murdering his live-in partner Shraddha Walker and dismembering her body.

After hearing all the arguments, the Saket Court said that the Delhi Police presented sufficient evidence and prima facie, a case of murder (302) and destruction of evidence is made out against Aftab.

Earlier, Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar on April 29 adjourned the hearing while noting that the concerned judge was on leave, reported news agency PTI.

The hearing on an application by Walkar's father regarding the remains of the woman being handed over to the family for last rites was also adjourned for May 9.

Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar had on April 15 reserved the order for April 29 after hearing arguments of prosecution lawyers as well as the accused on framing of charges.

On April 15, the probe agency had sought time in order to file its reply to the plea of Walkar's father.

Delhi Police booked the accused under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and filed a 6,629-page charge sheet on January 24, reported PTI.

On May 18, 2022, Shraddha Walkar 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. In order to avoid the risk of being caught, Poonawala scattered the body parts of Walkar at different places in the national capital.

People were shaken to their cores when the news surfaced about the gruesome murder. New details of the case continued to emerge even weeks after the crime came to light.