Shraddha Walkar murder case: Aaftab Poonawala tells Delhi Police he purchased 1 saw and 3 blades to cut the body

In an explosive revelation, Aaftab Poonawala said that he had tried to mislead police earlier by giving a false statement to Delhi Police. The chargesheet accessed by India Today revealed that he had cut Shraddha Walkar’s body into pieces and had burnt the bones of Shraddha and after grinding them by a stone grinder had blown / thrown the powder away. 

“That my previous disclosure is partially correct and in addition to my previous disclosure I further disclose that in my earlier disclosure statement, I had tried to mislead the police by giving a false statement that after murdering Shraddha on 18.05.2022 at my rented accommodation in Chhattarpur Pahadi, I had cut her body in to pieces and had burnt the bones of Shraddha and after grinding them by a stone grinder had blown / thrown the powder away,” he said in the chargesheet.

Aaftab further added that after killing Shraddha, he closed the main door of the house at about 07:45 PM and went to a nearby hardware shop situated at 60 foot Road, Chattarpur Pahari Delhi and purchased a saw, 3 blades, a hammer and plastic clip from there. 

“Thereafter I came back to the flat and shifted the body of Shraddha in the bathroom and cut the hands of Shraddha by cutting from the wrists with the help of the saw and kept them in a white polythene,” Aaftab’s statement in the chargesheet read.

Aaftab further described that while cutting the wrists of Shraddha, he also suffered a minor cut on his left hand with a saw due to which there was minor bleeding. “I had placed the polythene containing both the hands of Shraddha in the lower cabinet of the kitchen under the water camper. On the next night of murder Le 19/20-05-2022 at about 2 AM, I disposed off one thigh part of the dead body in the jungle of Chattarpur Pahari situated at M.G. Road near 1001 bols red light. Over the next 4-5 days, I cut the dead body in 17 pieces (three pieces of each hands (6 pieces), three pieces of each legs (six pieces), head, torso, two pieces of pelvic, and thumb,” he added.

Aaftab further said that he used to dispose of the body parts one by one as per his convenience. 

The chargesheet also revealed  that after killing Shraddha, Aaftab met a girl via a dating app Bumble. “The girl also visited my flat and even stayed at night several times. Whenever she used to visit my flat I used to clean the refrigerator and used to put the body parts of Shraddha in the lower cabinet of kitchen. After her departure I used to keep the remaining body parts that is head, torso and both forearms in the refrigerator,” Aaftab added.

On January 24, the Delhi Police filed a 6629-page chargesheet against Aaftab. The investigating officer informed the court that the chargesheet, including annexures, totaled 6,629 pages. The judge then stated, "it is extensive."

After judicial custody expired, accused Aaftab was produced through video conferencing from Tihar Jail. Aaftab had previously informed the court that he wishes to change his lawyer, advocate MS Khan.

The charge sheet was submitted in accordance with sections 302, 201, and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charge was filed by Delhi Police before the 90-day inquiry period expired. During the inquiry, Delhi police conducted a narcoanalysis test, a polygraph test, and obtained DNA evidence to prove Aaftab's allegations.

Aaftab is suspected of killing his live-in partner in the Mehrauli neighbourhood in May 2022. He allegedly sliced the deceased's body into 35 pieces after the alleged strangling. The Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad had claimed before the court that the voice sample is essential to investigate the matter while seeking permission to get it.