Cops record statement of Shraddha's friend who spoke to Republic, hunt for murder weapon

In the latest development in the horrifying Shraddha murder case, Delhi police on Saturday again conducted its Gurugram search in an effort to hunt the weapon used by accused Aaftab Poonawala to kill his live-in partner. The development came after black polythene, linked to the victim's body parts, was recovered on Friday. 

According to the sources, Shraddha's close friends -- Godwin Rodriguez and Rahul Raj -- also arrived at the Crime Detection Unit of Manikpur police to record their statements. Rahul Raj has reportedly left the Crime Detention Unit nearly after two hours of questioning by Delhi police. 

Meanwhile, the Delhi police on Friday reached Mumbai and recorded the statements of Laxman Nadar (Shraddha's friend who knew about her relationship with Aaftab in-depth) and the person who rented the couple a flat in Vasai.   

Assam CM shames killer

Terming Shraddha's murder as a case of love-jihad, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that our country needs a strong government to stop such heinous crimes. Shaming murdered Aaftab, Sarma said that the accused with no shame brought the victim from Mumbai, murdered her, and inhumanly cut her body parts into 35 pieces. 

"If today the country does not have a strong leader, a government that respects the nation as a mother, such Aftabs will emerge in every city and we will not be able to safeguard our society," Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said. 

'Aaftab tried to choke her to death in 2020': Shraddha's friend 

In an exclusive conversation with Republic TV, Shraddha's friend revealed that the murder which took place in 2022 could have taken place in 2020 if Shraddha hadn't escaped. Narrating the story behind Shraddha's old pictures in which she was having injuries, Shraddha's friend Godwin Rodriguez said that the Aaftab tried to kill Shraddha in 2020 as well. 

"This happened way back in November 2020 when we received a call that a female is requesting help and she needs immediate help because she is being tortured and her live-in partner Aaftab happened to choke her to death. Because it was someone trying to attempt murder, we immediately tried getting Shraddha's detail," Rodriguez said.

"I could see all the bruises on her face and body. Because her complexion is fair, you could easily see the bruises on her neck, lower neck and face. As soon I contacted her, I got to know Aaftab and how it happened exactly," he added.