NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday extended the police custody of the Shraddha murder case accused Aftab Poonawala for the next five days.
Aftab stands accused of killing his live-in partner Shradha Walker.
Police submitted in the court that the accused has to be taken to Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh for investigation. The court also allowed the police application seeking permission for the Narco analysis test of the accused.
Poonawala was produced before the court through video conferencing after police officials informed the court that the accused faced threats from miscreants and religious groups.
Poonawala's five-day police custody came to an end on Thursday following which police sought an extension in custody. The cops reportedly told the court that some crucial evidence is yet to be traced and hence they required custody of Aftab for more days. As per the report, police have yet to find the knife used by Poonawala and the mobile phone of Shradha Walker.
Earlier, lawyers present at the court held a protest against the gruesome murder of Shraddha. The angry lawyers demanded a death sentence for Aftab Poonawala, who was arrested five days ago by the police.
Around 4 pm, a large number of lawyers gathered outside the courtroom expecting that the accused will be produced before the court. The lawyers were shouting 'hang Aftab', 'award death sentence' and announcing maximum punishment.
Twenty-eight-year-old Poonawala allegedly strangled Shradha Walkar and sawed her body into 35 pieces which he then kept in a newly-bought 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in South Delhi's Mehrauli before dumping the parts across the city over several days after midnight.
Police said the couple used to have frequent arguments over financial issues and it is suspected that there was also a fight between them that resulted in Poonawala killing 27-year-old Walkar on the evening of May 18.
(With inputs from PTI)