Shraddha murder case transferred to sessions court, Aftab to be produced on Feb 24
Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 Feb, 2023 11:19 AM
New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) For initiation of trial proceedings, Delhi's Saket court on Tuesday sent Shraddha Walkar murder case to a sessions court.
Aftab Amin Poonawala, accused of murdering his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and then chopping body into several pieces, will be produced before a principal district and sessions judge on February 24.
Metropolitan Magistrate Aviral Shukla said: "Scrutiny of documents is complete... Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code is exclusively triable by sessions court."
He added: "The accused be produced before principal district and sessions judge on February 24 at 2 pm."
Poonawala requested the court at the hearing for permission to carry a book of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), a notebook, and a pen to the proceedings so that he could take notes and help his counsel.
In response, Poonawala was directed to file an application before the sessions court.
On February 13, Poonawala had filed applications in the court for release of a 'proper' soft copy of the charge sheet and his educational certificates to pursue higher studies.
The court had on February 7 taken cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police against Poonawala.
On January 24, the police had filed the charge sheet in the case which contains over 6,000 pages, and the court had extended his custody for 14 days.
Poonawala, in one of his applications, has alleged that the police's charge sheet -- prepared on the basis of forensic and electronic evidence, having around 100 witnesses -- has "falsely implicated" him in the case.
He has also contended that the prosecution intentionally provided a digital copy of the charge sheet, which is not legible.
In the two applications, filed by the accused's counsel M.S. Khan, the first plea stated that he was falsely implicated in the present case and was languishing in jail.
Poonawala, who is lodged in Tihar Jail, also stated in his plea that he wants to pursue higher studies, and hence wants all his certificates. He also immediately requires stationery items like pen, pencil and notebook.
The second plea seeks a soft copy of the charge sheet in a 'proper' way.
"The charge sheet in the soft copy or pen drive is not proper as the prosecution intentionally provided the soft copy which cannot be read," his plea said.
The pen drive was overloaded and not supported by advanced computers and that the video footage was mismanaged, he has claimed.
Poonawala has requested the court to pass an order directing the investigating officer to supply the soft copy in a folder-wise manner and the video footage may be in other pen drives as filed in the charge sheet.
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.
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.
Modi said that it was perhaps the first time where Pariksha Pe Charcha was being held in such cold weather, since it is usually held in February. The PM said that the students can learn time management by observing the working style of their mothers and advised them to utilise their time properly for studies.
It has one of the fastest-growing major economies -- certainly among comparably developed and similarly sized economies. It must now be included with nations that influence the global system, the report said.
Addressing the gathering after dedicating 500th Aam Aadmi Clinic at a function here, the Chief Minister, accompanied by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, said the government has already set the wheels in motion for this noble cause.
The party workers will deliver a letter written by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and a "charge sheet" against the Central government to each household. During the programme which is scheduled to end on March 26, party workers will reach out to 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats, six lakh villages and 10 lakh booths.
He said that both he and President Sisi closely observed the adverse effects on healthcare infrastructure and global supply chains during the Covid pandemic. Modi further elaborated that "there is also immense potential for enhancing security and defence cooperation between us".
The court listed the matter for the next hearing on January 27. On January 21, the Patiala House Court extended Mishra's judicial custody by 14 days. In a recent development, Air India said that the crew made a judgement call to record the matter as a non-reportable in-flight incident for many reasons.
