The Delhi court today framed charges of murder and cause evidence disappearance under IPC against Aaftab Poonawalla.
Aaftab, who is accused of brutally killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar. After hearing arguments on framing charges, Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana observed that a prima facie case of murder was made out against Poonawalla.
The Court said that, “Arguments on charge has been heard at length. Sufficient material produced by the prosecution. Prime facie case of Section 302 (murder) is made out and charges will be framed.”
Charges were also framed for offense under Section 201 IPC for causing the disappearance of evidence.
Also, the Court said that, “Secondly, knowing that an offense has been committed and to screen yourself from the punishment you cut the body and threw the body parts at various places…you committed an offence under 201 IPC.”
Furthermore, the Court read out the charges to Poonawalla who pleaded not guilty to the crimes.
The Court asked, “Do you plea guilty or claim trial?”
Poonawalla’s counsel replied that “I plea not guilty and claim trial.”
Poonawalla & Walker entered into a live-in relationship after meeting on a mobile dating app, Bumble. They were originally based out of Mumbai before shifting to Delhi last year.
On May 18 last year, police investigate into the crime, after an argument between the couple in a rented flat in Mehrauli, the accused strangle the victim and chopped her body into 35 pieces, stored it in a fridge and later dumped the pieces in different parts of the city over the next 18 days.
Firstly, Poonawalla was sent to police custody on suspicion post-murder incident and later was remanded to judicial custody.
Previously, on November last year the Delhi High Court dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking the transfer of the investigation in the case from the Delhi Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
