NEW DELHI: Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora on Tuesday rewarded members of the 3rd Battalion of the Delhi Armed Police, who safely escorted Aaftab Amin Poonawala from the Forensic Science Laboratory when the police van came under attack from sword-wielding miscreants.
Aaftab, 28, is accused of murdering his 27-year-old live-in partner Shraddha Walkar in their south Delhi flat, then slicing her body in several pieces, and ultimately disposing of the parts at different locations in the city.
Sharing details of Monday’s incident, DCP Dhal Singh said that Aftab, an undertrial prisoner, was as per the jail order required to be taken to the FSL centre at Rohini from Tihar jail. A team comprising two sub-inspectors, a head constable, and a constable was formed to escort him in a jail van for a polygraph test.
Singh recalled that at around 6.45 pm when Aftab was ready to be taken back from the FSL to Tihar jail, the area outside the laboratory was checked by the escort team as well as by local police and no suspicious movements of persons were noticed.
“As soon as the jail van moved from FSL office and crossed the gate, a group of people suddenly attacked the vehicle with swords in their hands. But the team of the 3rd Battalion of the Delhi Armed Police displayed exemplary presence of mind and swiftly moved the jail van from the place so as to avoid any harm to the prisoner and the escorting staff,” Singh added.
Videos of the purported incident circulating on social media show a policeman pulling out his service revolver to disperse the attackers. Two people were detained by the police, who claimed their association with the right-wing group, Hindu Sena. However, its president Vishnu Gupta told this newspaper that whatever the accused people did is their personal choice and Hindu Sena does not support such violence.
Meanwhile, the police have tightened security outside the FSL centre in Rohini. Aaftab is likely to undergo a narco test on December 1.