New Delhi: A Delhi court is likely to hear the order regarding framing of charges against Aftab Amin Poonawala, accused of murdering 'live-in partner' Shraddha Walkar, on Saturday i.e. today. Poonawala is accused of dismembering her 'live-in partner' Shraddha Walkar after strangling her to death. On the application of Walkar's father, the Delhi Police has also filed its reply in the court. In his application, Walkar's father has requested that Shraddha's mortal remains be handed over to the family so that she can be cremated as per the culture and tradition.
Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar had reserved her order on April 15 after hearing the arguments. The probe agency had sought time on April 15 to respond to the application filed by Walkar's father. On January 24, the Delhi Police filed a 6,629-page charge sheet in this case. Shraddha was allegedly strangled to death on May 18 last year. Walkar was allegedly murdered by Poonawala in Delhi's Mehrauli area. He had cut Walkar's body into at least 35 pieces, kept them in a 300-litre capacity refrigerator for about three weeks, and then dumped them in different parts of Delhi.
Meanwhile, Shraddha's father Vikas Madan Walkar has also filed an application in the court requesting for directions to hand over the remains of his daughter, so that he can cremate the deceased according to tradition and culture. The Delhi Police informed the Additional Sessions Judge that a reply in this regard is going to be filed on April 29. Meanwhile, arguments on framing of charges by Poonawala's lawyer have been completed on Saturday. During the hearing, Poonawala's counsel submitted that the place, time and manner of the offense needs to be specified as per the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
Poonawala has been booked under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing evidence of crime) of the Indian Penal Code. Citing a Supreme Court judgement, Poonawala's counsel argued that the accused cannot be held guilty of both the offenses and the two 'alternative charges' cannot be clubbed together. Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad has strongly refuted these arguments and said that at present the case is at the stage of framing of charges and there is no bar on framing of charges for both the offences.
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