Delhi murder: Maharashtra police say Aaftab seemed confident during questioning

Aaftab Poonawala, accused of brutally murdering his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar in Delhi six months ago, had appeared confident while he was initially questioned by the Maharashtra police, reports said Wednesday.

After her family complained that Shraddha was missing, Manikpur police in Vasai town of Palghar had called Aaftab for questioning twice - last month and on November 3.

Both times Aaftab told the police that Shraddha had left his place and they were not staying together, assistant police inspector Sampatrao Patil told PTI


"He was called for questioning for the first time in October but was then asked to go. Later on November 3, he was again called and his two-page statement was recorded. Both the times he looked very confident and there was no remorse on his face," Patil said.

The police official said that Aaftab confidently stuck to his version when the Maharashtra police later went to Delhi and questioned him at the Mehrauli police station.

Aaftab (28) was arrested last week for allegedly murdering Shraddha on May 18 at their flat in Delhi and chopping the body into 35 pieces before dumping them at different places in the national capital over several days.

He allegedly continued to use her Instagram handle for a few more weeks to avoid suspicions and even had another girlfriend over at the flat while Shraddha's body parts were still in the fridge.

Shraddha's close friend Rajat Shukla alleged it was possible that Aaftab might have been forcing her to convert, or that he had some other intentions.

"He did not seem to be a lover as such a person cannot commit a heinous crime like chopping the body of a person he loved into pieces, keeping them in a fridge and disposing them in a forest," Shukla was quoted as saying.
(With PTI inputs)