‘Don’t know her whereabouts, she left me’: What Aaftab told police after allegedly murdering Shraddha

Aaftab Ameen Poonawala, accused of strangling and chopping his live-in partner, 26-year-old Shraddha Walker, initially told the police during questioning that he had no idea about her whereabouts as she had left him in May. Mumbai Police that initially started the probe before transferring the case to Delhi Police as they were staying in Delhi, said that Poonawala frequently changed statements during the initial questioning. 

Manikpur police senior inspector Sampat Patil said that Poonawala was called for a statement where he accepted that they were staying in Delhi’s Chhatarpur area. The police said that the accused told them that they had an argument in May, which is when she left him. “Since then, I don’t know her whereabouts,” he said. 

Patil said that Poonawala kept changing his statements. They shared the input with their senior officers, the Delhi Police and the Mehrauli police station. The officers went to the said house, verified mobile data and bank records of the deceased but found that there have been no bank records of her since May and her phone was switched off since. 

Patil called the investigation a joint operation between Mumbai and Delhi police. He said that Poonawala’s statements were suspicious and kept changing. 

The accused allegedly chopped Shraddha into 35 pieces. So far, several body parts have been recovered but some are yet to be found. The police took Poonawala to the Mehrauli police station and was taken to the jungle from there to recover the body parts he had allegedly dumped. The murder weapon is yet to be recovered. 

According to Delhi Police, Shraddha’s phone was dumped too. Her last location is being traced so that they can retrieve it. 

Aaftab had allegedly strangled Shraddha after an argument, and then dismembered her. He put her pieces in a newly-bought 300-litre fridge, and would go out at night to dump her body parts in different garbage dumps and the jungle.

The accused has been taken into a five-day remand and further investigation is underway. 

Also read: Shraddha murder case: Aaftab researched ways to clean blood, impersonated her; what we know so far

Also read: Shraddha Walker wanted to become a journalist, was in a theatre group in college: Friend