New Delhi: A court here on Tuesday framed charges of murder and disappearance of evidence against Aaftab Amin Poonawala who is accused of strangling his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar to death and chopping her body into pieces, officials said.
Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar said prima facie a case for offences under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) was made out against the accused. Hence, the court has framed charges against him under the relevant sections mentioned.
Poonawala, however, denied the charges and demanded a trial. The matter has been posted for further proceedings on June 1. The Delhi Police had filed a 6,629-page charge sheet in the case on January 24.
The Delhi police earlier told the Court that there are "incriminating circumstances revealed through reliable and clinching evidence which form a chain of events." The prosecution made these submission while it concluded its arguments on whether the Court should frame charges or not on March 20.
On April 29, Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Pahuja had adjourned the order on framing of charges against Poonawala, noting that the judge concerned was on leave. Meanwhile, Walkar's father has urged the court to handover Shradda's mortal remains to the family for last rites as required by tradition and culture. The court which sought a reply from the prosecution on this request adjourned its hearing to Tuesday (May 9). The application of the victim's father Vikas Walkar is under consideration of the Court.
Earlier in April, the Delhi High Court restrained all news channels from displaying or playing content of the charge sheet in the Shraddha Walkar murder case. Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar also directed the Centre to ensure that no news channel displays such material till the disposal of the petition filed by Delhi Police.
Poonawala allegedly strangled Walkar, 27, on May 18 and sawed her body into 35 pieces which he kept in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in South Delhi's Mehrauli before dumping them across the city over several days past midnight.
