By India Blooms News Service Nov 17, 2022
New Delhi/IBNS: Even as they fought almost daily, on the fateful evening of the murder (May 18), Aaftab Ameen Poonawala and his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar were having arguments over monthly household expenses in their apartment in Delhis Mehrauli, investigations have released as per media reports.
On May 18, their fight began over buying some household items and escalated as some other issues came in.
Sometime between 8 and 10 pm, Aftab Poonawala strangled Shraddha Walkar to death, media reports said quoting police sources.
Shraddhas friends and the couples earlier landlords in Vasai near Mumbai too told NDTV that they had regular quarrels, mostly over suspicions of cheating on each other.
Earlier, Aaftab Poonawala revealed to the police that he was inspired by crime web series Dexter, media reports said.
Aftab, who had met his partner Shraddha Walkar in an online dating app, moved together to a place in Delhis Mehrauli in May this year.
Being inspired by Dexter, the accused then bought a saw to chop Shraddhas body and a 300-litre refrigerator to store the 35 pieces for 18 days.
The Delhi police Tuesday took accused Aaftab Ameen Poonawala, 28, to the forest area, where he allegedly threw Shraddhas body parts after murdering her.
The search operation went on for three hours and at least 10 body parts have been found.
The victims father, Vikas Walkar, on Tuesday, demanded the death penalty for Aftab, while also suspecting a love jihad angle behind the incident.
Aaftab was brought out of Mehrauli Police Station and taken to the jungle to recover the body parts he dumped one by one at different spots.
What is the case all about?
In a shocking case, Aaftab Ameen Poonawala allegedly strangled his live-in partner, then chopped her body into 35 pieces, stored them in his fridge and dumped them in Delhis Mehrauli forest over 18 days, media reports said.
He got away with the murder for five to six months.
Every morning at 2 am, he would step out to dump the body parts, reports said.
The 28-year-old has been sent to five days in police custody after he was arrested from his flat.
For 18 days after murdering Shraddha on May 18, Aaftab disposed of the pieces in different areas of the Mehrauli forest, they added.
During the questioning, Aaftab told the police that he and Shraddha had a rocky relationship and often indulged in fights.
He said that Shraddha had been pressuring him to get married and they would frequently quarrel about it.