More details are emerging in the Shraddha Walkar murder case. The father of the 26-year-old girl who was strangulated and butchered into pieces by her live-in partner Aftab Amin is reportedly suspecting a ‘love jihad’ angle in the case and demanded the death penalty for the accused perpetrator.
Speaking to ANI, Shraddha’s father, Vikas Madan Walker said, “I suspected a love jihad angle. We demand the death penalty for Aftab. I trust Delhi Police and the probe moving in the right direction. Shraddha was close to her uncle and didn’t talk to me much. I was never in touch with Aftab. I lodged the first complaint in Mumbai’s Vasai.”
Shraddha murder case: Father suspects “love jihad” angle, demands death penalty for Aftab
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Aftab Poonawalla, the accused in the murder of Shraddha Walker, was a food blogger who used to work at a call centre in the national capital, according to a Delhi Police investigation. The police are now looking into whether he rented a residence in Delhi’s Chhatarpur neighbourhood as part of a conspiracy to kill the victim.
Shraddha Walker’s father, Vikas Madan Walker filed a missing person report at Mehrauli Police Station, South Delhi district on November 10. Based on his complaint, an FIR was registered by the police and an investigation was initiated to find Shraddha. During the investigation, the police found that Aftab Amin Poonawala, with whom Shraddha was in a live-in relationship, allegedly killed her in May. He reportedly chopped her into 35 pieces and disposed of them one by one.
According to the FIR, Shraddha’s family was opposed to the relationship because Aftab was a Muslim. They also objected to Shraddha’s decision to live with Aftab. However, Shraddha was adamant about her decision. The FIR noted after her parents announced their disapproval of the relationship with Aftab, she said, “I am 25 years old. I have full right to take my own decisions. I want to have a live-in relationship with Aftab. From today, you can think you never had a daughter.” She packed her belongings and left the house. Vikas and his wife, late Suman Madan Walker, tried to stop her, but she did not listen.
The FIR noted that Shraddha frequently called her mother and informed her that Aftab often fought with her and physically assaulted her as well.
In his complaint, Vikas said, “The relationship between my daughter and Aftab was not good. I am confident that he is behind her disappearance. Either he has hidden her somewhere or has done something wrong.”
Police arrested Aftab for Shraddha’s murder
After filing FIR under Section 365 of the Indian Penal Code, the Delhi Police initiated an investigation. During the probe, they found out that Aftab had killed Shraddha in May this year. Reports suggest Aftab kept on changing his statements during questioning.
Aftab told police that the duo got into an argument, and he strangulated her. Later, he chopped her dead body into 35 pieces. He brought a new fridge to store the pieces. Aftab left his apartment with one piece of the dead body wrapped in plastic daily and disposed of it off in a forest area.
“It is learned that after the murder, Aftab used to come back home by 6-7 pm and then used to take the pieces of the dead body kept in the fridge for disposal in the dead of the night. The accused used to carry the pieces of the carcass in a black foil but had thrown the pieces out of the foil in the forest, making it difficult to ascertain if the pieces were thrown or the remains were due to animal hunting,” ANI quoted a source as saying.
Reports suggest after murdering Shraddha, he installed a dating app and dated another woman. While the parts of Shraddha’s body were in the fridge and kitchen, Aftab brought another woman to the apartment a few times on dates.
