Mehrauli murder case: Aftab Poonawala's police custody extended for five more days
Darpan News Desk IANS, 17 Nov, 2022 12:51 PM
New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS) A Delhi court on Thursday extended, by five more days, the police custody to Aftab Ameen Poonawalla, who has been arrested for allegedly murdering his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and chopping her body into 35 pieces.
Poonawalla was produced virtually before the Saket district court after the court took note of the threats to his life and security reasons.
A large group of lawyers protested outside a courtroom demanding the death penalty for the accused.
On Wednesday, the court approved a narco test of Poonawalla on Delhi Police's submission that he was not cooperating in the investigation.
A day earlier, the police had also taken him to the house in south Delhi's Chhattarpur, which he shared with Walkar, to recreate the crime. Sources have said that when Poonawalla was first called for questioning, he told the investigators that she had left the house on May 22.
"However, her belongings were at the house while Poonwalla told police that she had only taken her phone. He also said that they did not speak to each other since she left," a source said.
The investigators doubted his version and on strong questioning and through digital evidences, including the use of her Instagram account, which showed the location of the Mehrauli area, Poonawalla finally confessed to killing the victim and then chopping her body into 35 pieces and was arrested on November 12.
Asserting that the SAD stood with the beleaguered peasantry, he announced the party would oppose collection of penalties imposed on the farmers, besides launching a sustained campaign in case the red entries in land records were not revoked.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Manpreet Singh and Bhupinder Singh -- both from Faridkot; and Baljit Singh of Muktsar Sahib. The DGP said the police had established the identity of two of the main shooters -- Manpreet and Bhupinder -- on the first day of the crime and a manhunt was launched in this regard.
Police said that they have arrested nine people, including an Assam Rifles Head Constable, of the gang. Meanwhile, a manhunt has been initiated to nab other accused which also includes a Delhi-based lawyer.
Keeping in view the declining cases of Covid-19 in the country, the government on Wednesday removed mandatory requirement to wear masks in flights. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that the decision has been taken following a review meeting on the issue with the Ministry of Health.
A police spokesperson said the case properties of drug cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, in Amritsar and Fazilka were destroyed on Tuesday.
Addressing a gathering during at a state-level function to mark the martyrdom day of the Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha at his native village here, the Chief Minister said bestowing the Bharat Ratna award to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, Shaheed Rajguru, Shaheed Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai and others will enhance the prestige of this award.
