Mehrauli murder: Delhi court frames murder, disappearance of evidence charges against Poonawala
Darpan News Desk IANS, 09 May, 2023 10:41 AM
New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) A Delhi court on Tuesday framed charges in the Mehrauli murder case against Aaftab Amin Poonawala, accused of strangling his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and then chopping her body into several pieces.
Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar of Saket Courts has framed charges under Sections 302 (Murder) and 201 (Disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Poonawala.
"Prima facie case of Section 302 is made out and charges will be framed," ASJ Khurana said.
The judge added that to screen himself from punishment, Poonawala cut Walkar's body and threw it at various places therefore committing offence under Section 201of IPC.
Poonawala pleaded not guilty of Walker's murder and the matter has now been set for trial and has been listed for recording of prosecution evidence on June 1.
The Delhi Police had earlier told the court that incriminating circumstances are clearly revealed through reliable and clinching evidence and they form a chain of events.
A charge sheet running over 6,000 pages was filed in the case.
In a status report before Justice Anoop Chitkara's Bench, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sukhnaaz Singh said in view of the facts and circumstances, it is evident that there is sufficient prima facie evidence on record which reveals that the petitioner is the main conspirator, who hatched conspiracy with Gaurav Patial (accused) for eliminating Middukhera.
In January 2019, a special CBI court in Panchkula also sentenced Rahim and three others to life imprisonment for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati over 16 years ago. His conviction on August 25, 2017 had led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa, leaving 41 people dead and over 260 injured.
According to customs officials, "The gold was in the form of a paste which was wrapped in black tape in two packets. The total weight of the packets was 433 grams. After removing the tape and other impurities from gold, it weighs 397 grams."
The two accused -- Ankit Sersa and Sachin Chaudhary had been in the custody of the Delhi Police in an arms case. Chief metropolitan magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria granted their transit remand to the Mansa Police SIT team that is probing the murder of Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala.
Mann said most of the time they had to run pillar to post for getting their work done. The Chief Minister said this dedicated cell will be a single-window platform for the persons with disabilities to avail the benefits of these schemes.
Patna Police have arrested Athar Parvez and Mohammed Jalaluddin -- a retired sub-inspector from Jharkhand -- from the Phulwari Sharif area. Later, three more individuals -- Margoob Danish, Arman Malik and Shabbir -- were arrested.
