Shraddha murder case: Delhi court extends Aftab Poonawala's judicial custody by 14 days

New Delhi: A court here on Friday extended by 14 days the judicial custody of Aaftab Amin Poonawala, who allegedly strangled his live-in partner Shraddha Walker and chopped her body into pieces, a source said. Poonawala was produced before the court through videoconferencing, the court source said. In the last hearing in the case on November 26, the court extended the judicial custody of the accused by 13 days. Poonawala, 28, allegedly sawed Walker's body into 35 pieces and kept them in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in south Delhi's Mehrauli before dumping them across the city over several days.

Aaftab Amin Poonawalla, the accused of killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walker and currently lodged in Tihar Jail, was to be produced before the Saket court on December 9, 2022, as per sources. The Tihar Jail authority has asked its 3rd Battalion to provide special security to the accused Aftab as he will be produced before the concerned judge. The 28-year-old, who is dismembering Shraddha`s body and storing the chopped body parts in a refrigerator before disposing of them in the forests of south Delhi`s Chhatarpur, is currently in the custody of Delhi Police. According to the jail authorities, Aaftab spends time plotting chess moves, often solitary and occasionally sparring with two fellow inmates. One of the investigators in the case even said Aaftab is very clever and a "new twist" could be expected in the case. According to sources, Aaftab shares his jail cell with two more inmates who frequently play a game of chess in the cell. 

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Aaftab confessed that he used a Chinese chopper to dismember Shraddha`s body. Delhi Police could do a brain mapping to read Aftab`s mind to find out what`s brewing inside. "We are still waiting for the DNA report, only after that will consider the Brain mapping test," police said. Initially, Aaftab was trying to misguide the Mumbai Police. But, once the case came under the jurisdiction of Delhi Police, he started confessing his crime. The police say they suspect it to be part of his "devious" scheme. As per information, the jail authorities have increased the security outside Aaftab Poonawalla`s jail quarters, and deployed an additional guard outside his barrack, especially after an attack on a jail van ferrying Shraddha`s alleged killer outside the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Delhi`s Rohini.

The Tihar Jail Authority has also said that in view of the danger to Aftab inside the jail, "special vigil is being kept around his cell", adding, "Aftab neither talks much to anyone nor does he mingle".According to jail officials, Aftab eats and sleeps on time as if he has no remorse for his actions."It seems from his actions that the murder of Shraddha Walker was also a part of a deeper conspiracy like his chess strategies," the jail sources stated. Aaftab is accused of strangling to death his live-in partner and chopping her body into 35 pieces. 

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He is also alleged to have preserved the chopped body parts in a refrigerator before dumping them in forested areas in Delhi and Gurugram. Police had earlier said Aaftab, who confessed to killing Shraddha and chopping her body was giving misleading answers to questions. Delhi Police had submitted in court that Aaftab was giving wrong information and was misleading the investigation.