Aftab Poonawala Threatened with Death in Tihar Jail, Court Orders Increased Security

A Delhi court has directed Tihar Jail authorities to take immediate steps to ensure the security of Aftab Amin Poonawala, the accused in the Shraddha Vikas Walkar murder case. Additional Sessions Judge Hargurvinder Singh Jaggi issued this directive after 28-year-old Aftab complained in court that for the past 10 days, other inmates in the jail had been continuously threatening to kill him. Aftab is currently lodged in Tihar Jail's special cell, which is considered a punishment ward.

According to the court order, Aftab stated that some inmates were threatening him that they would use 'sua' or needle-like weapons to slash his face and inflict physical harm upon him. Aftab also disclosed the names of five such inmates before the court. Taking this serious matter into consideration, the judge ordered the jail superintendent to shift Aftab to another ward or cell if deemed necessary. The court made it clear that the security of an undertrial prisoner is a core principle of the judicial system and it is the duty of the state to keep every accused safe, which is a part of the right to a fair trial.

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The judge has also asked the jail superintendent to submit a report on the action taken in this matter at the earliest. A copy of this order has also been sent to the jail superintendent, as well as the investigating officer and SHO of the Mehrauli police station.

According to the details of the case, on May 18, 2022, Aftab Poonawala killed his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar by strangulating her in a fit of anger. Aftab chopped Shraddha's body into pieces, kept them in a refrigerator at his home in Chhattarpur Pahadi, and then threw them in a nearby forest over several days. In January 2023, the police filed a chargesheet in the case, charging Aftab with murder, kidnapping, and destruction of evidence. The investigation revealed that Shraddha was talking to someone else through a dating app, which had displeased Aftab.

In May 2023, a Delhi court framed charges against Aftab. The court noted that the material presented by the prosecution was sufficient. With Aftab pleading not guilty, the trial commenced, which is currently pending in a fast-track court. The prosecution is considering bones, tufts of hair, a jawbone, blood samples found around the house, and statements of witnesses as the main evidence in this case. The examination of witnesses is still pending, while the Delhi High Court has refused to set a specific time limit for the trial of this case.