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

The grisly murder case of Shraddha Walker, who was allegedly chopped into 35 pieces by the accused live-in partner Aaftab Ameen Poonawala, is seeing more details emerge as the police continues investigation. Poonawala, who the police claim confessed to killing Shraddha and strewing pieces of her body in garbage dumps and jungles, said that he strangled her following an argument. 

Shraddha’s father, Vikas Walker, has now demanded the death penalty for his daughter’s killer. 

Here’s what we know so far in the Shraddha murder case:

1. Aaftab was nabbed by the police after Vikas Walker lodged an FIR regarding his missing daughter, who, he said, the family had failed to contact for two months. Her phone was also switched off, he said.  

2. During the interrogation Aaftab said, the police claim, that Shraddha often pressured him into getting married. 

3. Following one such argument on May 18, Aaftab allegedly strangled Shraddha, and then dismembered her in order to dispose of her body. During the initial interrogation, the police claim Aaftab said that Shraddha had left him in May. 

4. He allegedly bought a new 300-litre fridge from a nearby store in order to store the chopped up body parts. Her body parts were stored along with ice-cream and cold drinks, the police said. 

5. Aaftab allegedly went out at nights for the next 16 nights to dispose of her body in pieces, and strew them in Mehrauli’s garbage dumps and jungle. 

6. The accused, reportedly, researched human anatomy, Googled ways to clean human blood, and was also inspired by popular American show, Dexter. 

7. The accused allegedly brought another girl to his flat on a date while Shraddha’s body parts were stored in the fridge.

8. As per the police, Aaftab allegedly wiped the floor with detergent and used incense sticks to get rid of the foul smell. The police said that the flat was cleaned with chemicals, and that when they found the fridge, it did not have even a speck of blood in it. 

9. He allegedly impersonated Shraddha on social media apps and chatted with her friends. He also ordered food online, and continued living in the same flat.

10. The police is analysing his past relationships and contacting his old friends who knew him from before he was dating Shraddha. 

11. A friend of Shraddha Walker told the police that once she had contacted him on WhatsApp, asking him to rescue her from Aaftab. "Once she contacted me on WhatsApp and asked to rescue her from her residence. She said that if she stayed with him (Aaftab) that night, he would kill her,” said her friend Laxman Nadar. He added that no police complaints were made against Aaftab considering their commitment towards each other. 

12. Vikas Walker believes that there are other facts that Aaftab is hiding from the police. “Police have recovered only 8-10 pieces. How can he declare in a day's time that he did what he did? He lied before Mumbai Police but he immediately confessed to Delhi Police,” he questioned. 

13. Shraddha’s father has demanded a punishment worse than the death penalty for Aaftab. "Agar usne tukde tukde kiye hai toh uske bhi tukde tukde ho. Phaasi dijiye, usse bura ho toh who karo (if Aaftab has chopped up my daughter's body, then I want his body to be chopped too. If there is anything worse than a death sentence then award that)," he said.

Also read: Delhi murder case: Shraddha Walker's father says he wants accused Aaftab hanged to death

Also read: Delhi murder: Aaftab used dating app, brought another woman in house after killing Shraddha