NEW DELHI: Aaftab Amin Poonawala revealed to Shraddha Walkar’s father that he had “strangulated” her with “his own hands”, the father of the victim on Monday testified in a Delhi court that was recording the statements of the witnesses in the sensational murder case. The father also testified about Poonawala’s statement that after strangulating the victim, he bought a saw, chopped off her wrists and put those in a trash bag.
Shraddha Walkar, who was in a live-in relationship with Poonawala (28), was allegedly strangulated by the latter on May 18 last year. The accused dismembered her body, kept the body parts in a fridge and disposed those of at desolate places across Delhi over several days to dodge police. Many of the body parts were found later in a forest near the accused’s house.
Vikas Madan Walkar, who was examined as a prosecution witness by the public prosecutor before ASJ Manisha Khurana Kakkar, testified that he went to the Mehrauli police station on November 11, 2022, where he was asked by the police officials whether he recognised Poonawala.
“I replied in the affirmative and said this is Poonawala, who was living with my daughter for the last three years. I also informed the police that he quarrelled with my daughter and beat her up on several occasions,” Vikas Walkar said.
He said at the police station, he saw officials interrogating Poonawala about the transfer of an amount from Shraddha’s account on May 20 (two days after the killing). Poonawala got perplexed and said no such thing had happened, he said.“On my inquiry from Poonawala as to where my daughter was, he said she was no more...,” Vikas Walkar said.
“I was shocked and started feeling dizzy. When I recovered after a while, Poonawala started revealing how he killed my daughter. He told me that he had a fight with my daughter on May 18, 2022, and further informed me that he had strangulated Shraddha with his own hands,” he said.
City horror