Shraddha Walkar murder case: 'Unaware of bail application,' Aaftab Poonawala tells Delhi court

Aaftab Poonawala, the accused in the Shraddha Walkar murder case, told a Delhi Court on Saturday that he was unaware that a bail application was filed on his behalf. He informed the court that he had signed on the vakalatnama but was not aware a bail petition would be filed on his behalf.

"I would like the counsel to talk to me and then withdraw the bail plea," Poonawala said, replying to an inquiry by the judge on whether he intended to withdraw the application, PTI reported.

The 28-year-old accused appeared before Additional Sessions Judge Vrinda Kumari through video-conferencing.

Following this, the judge said that the bail application would be kept pending and only after the accused meets the counsel, it would be decided whether the plea would be pressed or not.

The court posted the matter for further proceedings on December 22.

On Friday, it was reported that Poonawala moved Delhi's Saket court, seeking bail. The matter was then scheduled to be heard in the court today.

Meanwhile, Delhi's Saket court on December 9 extended the judicial custody of Aaftab Poonawala. The 28-year-old is accused of having dismembered Shraddha's body and stored the chopped body parts in a refrigerator before disposing of them in the forests of South Delhi's Chhatarpur.

Poonawala is currently in judicial custody till December 23, and is lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail.

Earlier on Thursday, DNA tests confirmed that bones collected by Delhi Police from the jungles of Mehrauli and Gurugram were of Shraddha Walkar. 

A few bone samples matched the DNA of the father of Shraddha, whose live-in partner Aaftab Poonawala is accused of killing and chopping her body into 35 pieces, reported ANI. 

The police had recovered 13 bone pieces from the area while searching for Walkar's body parts.

(With agency inputs)

Also Read: Shraddha Walkar murder case: Bones found in Delhi forest match with DNA of Shraddha's father, says report