Shraddha Walkar murder: Delhi court takes cognisance of charge sheet, scrutiny on Feb 21

On January 24, the police had filed the charge sheet in the case which contains over 6,000 pages and the court had extended Poonawala's custody for 14 days.

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday took cognisance of the charge sheet filed by Delhi Police against Aaftab Amin Poonawala, accused of murdering his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and then chopping her body into several pieces.

On January 24, the police had filed the charge sheet in the case which contains over 6,000 pages and the court had extended Poonawala’s custody for 14 days.

After taking cognisance of the charge sheet, the court posted the matter for its scrutiny on February 21.

According to sources, the charge sheet was prepared on the basis of forensic and electronic evidence, and has around 100 witnesses.

Poonawala has been accused of killing Walkar and then chopping her body into several pieces and storing them in a refrigerator before disposing of them in the Chhatarpur forest area over a period of three months.

During the last hearing when Poonawala was produced before the court through video conferencing before Metropolitan Magistrate Aviral Shukla, he had contended that he wanted to change his lawyer.

Poonawala had demanded law books to study. The court had also directed the prison authorities to provide him with warm clothes.

On January 6, Poonawala had moved an application in the court seeking release of his debit and credit cards, citing the need for funds to purchase day-to-day items, as well as warm clothes.

Poonawala’s application was moved through his advocate seeking to release funds from his bank account citing that he did not have enough warm clothes to counter the winter chill inside the prison.