Shraddha Walkar murder case: Poonawala is a trained chef and knows how to preserve flesh, says Delhi Police in court

The Delhi Police today disclosed to a court in the Shraddha Walker murder case that the accused, Aftab Amin Poonawala, is a "trained chef" and knows how to preserve flesh. Tuesday marked the beginning of the accused's hearing at Delhi's Saket court.

Poonawala, 28, is accused of sawing Walkar's body into 35 pieces and storing them in a 300-litre refrigerator at his home in Mehrauli for about three weeks before disposing them off over several days in the different forest areas of NCR.

According to the authorities, Aftab is a chef with training from the Taj Hotel and is skilled at preserving the flesh. The accused also ordered dry ice, agarbatti, and other items after killing Shraddha Walker. He started a new relationship after the crime and gave his new partner a ring, police told the Saket Court.

“He also had the requisite knowledge for cleaning the equipment used for butchering. The circumstantial evidence, in this case, is powerful and compelling as it is well-corroborated, consistent and leads to a logical inference of the commission of murder by the accused. The strong and coherent chain of circumstantial evidence inescapably and logically points to the guilt of the accused,” the police said.

According to Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad, speaking on behalf of the Delhi Police, the Delhi Police described the complete course of the offence in court.

All the materials were given to the accused, Aftab Amin Poonawalla's new Legal Aid Counsel (LAC), since he changed counsel, MS Khan.

Since November 12, 2022, Aaftab has been in police custody.

A heavy 6,629 page charge sheet against Aftab in the murder case was filed by Delhi police on January 24th. The Indian Criminal Code's Sections 302, 201, and other provisions are covered by the charge sheet (IPC).

The Delhi Police carried out a narcoanalysis and polygraph tests and gathered DNA evidence throughout the inquiry to support the claims against Aaftab.

According to the news agency ANI report, more than 150 witnesses were examined, and their statements have been recorded. In addition, the Police also collected a voice sample of Aaftab.

(With agency inputs)