Special police team to investigate Shraddha murder case: Maharashtra Dy CM Fadnavis

Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], December 20 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and State Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that a special police team will be formed to investigate the Shraddha Walkar murder case.

Aaftab Amin Poonawala killed his live-in partner Shraddha. Aftab allegedly chopped her body into 35 pieces, bought a refrigerator and kept them in it. He later started disposing off the body parts at different locations in and around Delhi during the night hours for the next 18 days.

Considering the way Shraddha was brutally murdered and its impact on society, BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar raised a calling attention motion in the Legislative Assembly asking if a law will be enacted to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

Speaking on the occasion, BJP MLA Ashish Shelar also pointed out certain discrepancies in the case making it suspicious.

“If Shraddha Walkar had filed a complaint in the police station that she was being beaten up by the accused, then why wasn’t any case registered and an investigation carried out? Why was there a delay of one year in asking both families to give their stance in writing? Why was the date on the paper tampered with?” asked Shelar.

Shelar further said that during the last two-and-a-half years, the stance taken by the then government was suspicious and hence we wonder if was there any pressure in this regard as well.

The BJP MLA demanded that a special police team must be appointed to investigate the matter and Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis accepted the demand.

“Investigations so far have revealed that there was not any political or outside pressure in the case. However, we are probing as to why she withdrew the complaint. There was a gap of one month between filing the complaint and withdrawing it,” said Fadnavis.

He further said that an inquiry has been ordered as to why police did not act for so long.

“Had the police investigated, this incident could have been averted. An inquiry has been ordered. We are inquiring as to why they did not act for so long,” he added.

Notably, Delhi Police is currently investigating the murder case.

In November, Shraddha’s father Vikash Madan Walkar, a resident of Palghar (Maharashtra), approached Mumbai police and lodged a missing person complaint.

During the initial investigation, Shraddha’s last location was found in Delhi, and on the basis of this, the case was transferred to Delhi Police.

Shraddha’s father told the police about his daughter’s relationship with Aftab and suspected his involvement in his daughter’s absence.

During the investigation, it was found that Aaftab and Shraddha had come to Delhi and started living in a rented apartment in the Chhattarpur Pahadi area. The police during the course of the investigation, traced Aftab and nabbed him.
Aftab, during questioning, confessed to the crime and said that they fought often as Shraddha was pressuring him for marriage.

Recently, Aaftab has moved an application seeking bail on the grounds that the initial investigation in the case has been completed.

The bail application moved through the legal aid counsel has stated that the initial investigation in the matter is completed and a charge sheet is to be filed.
Aaftab Poonawala is in judicial custody till December 23.

Aaftab’s polygraph test and Narco Analysis test have also been conducted.
The Delhi Police will file a charge sheet in the matter soon.