On Friday, Delhi’s Saket court recorded the statements of a shopkeeper who had sold a hammer, allegedly used in the crime, to Aftab Amin Poonawala. Additionally, the court recorded the statement of another shopkeeper who sold a suitcase to Poonawala. The trial pertains to the murder of Shraddha Walkar, with Aftab Amin Poonawala being the accused.
Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar of Saket court heard the statement of Rajan Bansal, who confirmed selling the hammer to Aftab Amin Poonawala, purportedly the murder weapon. The witness also identified the said hammer. Further testimony from Rajan Bansal was postponed for a later date. The court also recorded the statement of shopkeeper Sanjeev Kumar Malhotra, who had sold a suitcase to the accused.
These witness statements were taken in the presence of Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad. Advocate Akshay Bhandari, representing the accused Aftab, cross-examined the witnesses, while the cross-examination of Mahendra was deferred to a later date.
Previously, the court had formally charged Aftab Amin Poonawala with the murder of Shraddha Walkar and evidence tampering. The alleged murder occurred on May 18, 2022, in the Mehrauli area, and the victim’s body parts were disposed of in the Chhatarpur Pahadi Area. Aftab was arrested in November 2022.
The charges brought against Aftab include sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), pertaining to murder and destruction of evidence, respectively.
Additionally, an application was filed by Advocate Seema Kushwaha on behalf of Shraddha’s father, Vikas Walkar, seeking the release of her bones for performing the last rites. The application is currently pending before the court, and Vikas Walkar’s statement is scheduled to be recorded on July 31.
The case is currently in the stage of presenting the prosecution’s evidence, with statements from witnesses being recorded. It involves the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by her live-in partner, Aftab Amin Poonawala, on May 18, 2022.
