Mehrauli murder case: ‘Poonawala always kept to himself, never mingled’

Aftab Poonawala (right) Abdullah Khan, secretary of Vasai society where Poonawala lived. Pics/Hanif Patel; Twitter

Aftab Poonawala, who killed his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and chopped her body into pieces, was on Tuesday taken to various locations in Mehrauli forest areas where he claimed to have scattered the pieces. Delhi police are also checking if it was a pre-planned murder as "the couple had moved to the flat hardly three days before Walkar was killed," said a police officer. mid-day has learnt that cops have written to the dating applications, which Poonawala used, to get the details of his account and ascertain if the women he had met up with are safe.

The forensic team of the Delhi police has not found any traces of blood from the flat, as Poonawala had cleaned the floor with disinfectant. A police officer said, "Initially, he was talking only in English, but now he has fallen in line and speaks in Hindi. He confessed to the crime saying ‘yes, I killed her'."

Neighbourhood stunned

Meanwhile, the secretary of the housing society in Vasai West where Poonawala grew up told mid-day that he was an introvert and would never interact with society members. "Aftab grew up here in Vasai.

Also read: Mehrauli Murder: CBI forensic team examines 10 suspected human body parts

Poonawala was taken to the jungle areas in Mehrauli where he claimed to have scattered pieces of Walkar's body

He lived with his parents and a younger brother. He would never join any society functions. He would hardly interact with other members or play with the children in the society. He had his own set of friends, including the woman he murdered," said Abdullah Khan, secretary of the society. Poonawala had visited the society a fortnight ago to help his parents with relocation.

"Around 15 days ago, I saw him in the society. He had come to help his parents and brother with shifting the belongings. When I asked him how he was doing, he told me that he had shifted to Delhi two years ago," Khan told mid-day, adding, "Poonawalas have rented out their property and shifted somewhere in Mira Road. We are not in touch with them anymore."

Shock to friends

A school friend of Poonawala, requesting anonymity, said, "I don't know his current nature but he was a good person when we were in school. I have not been in touch with him for many years. I am shocked to learn about his horrible act. I can't even imagine that my schoolmate can kill a woman and dismember her body into multiple pieces. It's horrible!"

Destroyed evidence

Poonawala, during interrogation, said that he and Walkar had gotten into a fight on May 18. He first pinned her down on the floor and then sat on her chest, strangling her with his hands.

Aftab Poonawala had visited the housing society in Vasai where he grew up around 15 days ago to help his parents move out. Pics/Hanif Patel

Sources in Delhi police said that Poonawala had stored Walkar's head and torso in a double-door fridge. "He had kept ice cream and cold drinks next to the chopped up body parts inside the refrigerator. The trained chef had minced some body parts so that they could be put inside the fridge," said an officer privy to the investigation.

He also purchased a cleaner with sodium hypochlorite to clean the floor. "Since he is a trained chef, he is aware of garbage management. After chopping up the body, he had wrapped his blood stained clothes into a plastic bag and dumped it in a dustbin," the cop added.

Cunning disposal

Cops said that Poonawala would step out during pre-dawn hours to dispose of the body parts without gathering attention. "He would put the body parts in a plastic bag before stepping out of the flat. He would then walk for around three kilometres to reach the jungle area of Mehrauli," the officer said.

"He would take each piece out of the plastic bag and throw it in the jungle as he walked. It is very difficult to collect all the body parts now after six months, but we are trying our best," said an officer from Delhi police.