Police discovered a noticed from the rented Chhattarpur flat of Aaftab Amin Poonawala, who’s accused of murdering his girlfriend and hacking her physique into 35 items, an officer conscious of the probe stated on Thursday, marking a possible breakthrough within the macabre case that has shocked the nation however yielded little exhausting proof but.
The officer cited above stated the noticed was recovered from Poonawala’s first-floor flat 4 to 5 days in the past and was despatched for forensic examination as a result of investigators suspect that it may very well be the weapon with which the 28-year-old allegedly dismembered his companion’s physique after killing her.
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“Police discovered a noticed in his home through the search following his interrogation. For now, it can’t be confirmed if that is the weapon he used within the crime till it’s scientifically examined by forensic specialists,” stated the officer cited above, requesting anonymity.
A second officer conscious of developments stated Poonawala instructed police that he strangled his companion, Shraddha Walkar, in a match of rage on the night of Could 18 after a combat over their shifting to Delhi from Maharashtra. No public assertion has been made to this point by the accused, who’s in custody.
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The ugly homicide was unearthed on Monday after Poonawala ostensibly instructed the police that he murdered Shraddha Walkar six months in the past, chopped her physique into no less than 35 items for over two days, saved them in a fridge for about three months, and dumped the physique components piece by piece in several components of south Delhi. Police later stated that the couple fought over funds on Could 18 — three days after they moved into the flat in Chhattarpur.
However apart from his confession and a collection of circumstantial clues, the police investigation has not thrown up main items of proof. Investigators recovered 13 bone fragments from close by forests and located some bloodstains within the flat however are but to conclusively show that they belong to Walkar, 27.
For this reason the restoration of the noticed could develop into essential, stated the officer quoted above. If forensic examination proves that that is certainly the weapon used to hack Walkar’s physique, will probably be the primary actual piece of proof within the case. Any homicide investigation stands on two prongs — the restoration of the homicide weapon and the physique — as a result of confessions made to police are usually not admissible in a court docket of legislation except backed by corroborative proof.
“Forensic specialists will look at the noticed and match it with blood samples recovered on the scene or from different locations,” the officer stated, requesting anonymity. If the blood is proved to be Walkar’s and matches any traces on the suspected weapon, it should show that the noticed was used to kill the lady. HT was the primary to report on Wednesday that police stated traces of bloodstains have been discovered close to the kitchen sink.
The officer additionally stated that Poonawala talked about in his confession that he used a couple of weapon to dismember Walkar’s physique, and investigators are looking out for any extra recoveries.
To make sure, at this stage, the restoration of the noticed will not be conclusively linked to the homicide and the noticed may have been current on the home for innocuous, home causes.
However the officer stated investigators regarded into this side, and located no believable purpose for Poonawala to maintain a noticed in the home. “There was no carpentry or paint job in the home and virtually nobody visited him on the home. Poonawala by no means cooked within the flat or employed a assist for family work,” the officer added. Police probe revealed that the 28-year-old ordered meals on-line and acquired the supply on the flat’s door or the constructing’s important gate on the bottom ground.
Avinash Kumar, who represented Poonawala in court docket on Thursday, stated that police sought extension of Poonawala’s custody to determine a store on the Mehrauli-Gurugram (MB) street the place the accused ostensibly claimed he purchased a noticed.
That is the second place the place the police have taken Poonawala, based mostly on his obvious assertion that he purchased a weapon from the spot. On Monday, Poonawala took the police to a store in Chhattarpur market, the place he claimed he purchased the weapon. Police recorded the shopkeeper’s assertion that stated he didn’t keep in mind Poonawala. “He confessed to the police that he has used a couple of weapon. All his claims shall be verified as a part of the probe,” stated the primary officer quoted above.
The second officer conscious of the probe stated Poonawala instructed police that he strangled Walkar in a match of rage on the night of Could 18. The officer stated that the couple had been combating for the last few months, together with throughout their vacation in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
“The combat on Could 18 truly began within the afternoon. Walkar needed Poonawala to shift to Delhi and convey their home items from Mumbai. Poonawala didn’t wish to shift, which made her suspect that he was having an affair with one other lady. She had additionally seen a few of his WhatsApp messages with one other lady that had induced a pressure of their relationship,” the officer added.
Within the subsequent 5 days of Poonawala’s custody, police plan to take him to Bir and Kasol in Himachal Pradesh and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, the place the couple visited earlier than coming to Delhi in early Could.
Poonawala and Walkar, initially from Vasai close to Mumbai, have been in a relationship and moved to Delhi in Could 2022. Walkar was estranged from her household who opposed her relationship with Poonawala however the incident got here to mild when a buddy knowledgeable Walkar’s father, Vikas Madan Walkar, that he had not heard from her for no less than two months. Her father then knowledgeable Mumbai Police in October.
A month-long probe by Mumbai and Delhi Police led investigators to the flat in south Delhi the place Poonawala allegedly murdered Walkar.