Aftab Poonawala Showed 'Sociopathic Traits' and No Remorse in Polygraph Test, Sources Reveal

Aftab Poonawala, the accused in the 2022 murder of his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar, exhibited distinct psychopathic and sociopathic tendencies during his polygraph evaluations, according to sources familiar with the investigation. Forensic experts subjected Poonawala to a battery of psychological assessments, including the aggressive tendency scale, the Eysenck personality test, the picture frustration test, and an emotional maturity test. Sources state that the diagnostic results pointed to a personality highly characterized by emotional detachment, a total lack of empathy, and highly manipulative behavior.

The Eysenck personality inventory specifically evaluates two major, independent dimensions of human personality: extraversion-introversion and neuroticism-stability. Meanwhile, the picture frustration test is designed to measure how an individual handles daily stressors and processes aggression.

Throughout these forensic assessments, Poonawala reportedly showed no remorse for the crime. Sources revealed that his primary focus remained entirely on "self-preservation," with his efforts directed toward finding ways to escape legal consequences. These forensic insights stem from the dark events of May 2022, when Poonawala allegedly killed Walkar, dismembered her body, and spent several days scattering her remains across various locations.

Walkar's Family Seeks High Court Intervention Over Trial Delays

These psychological revelations surface alongside growing frustration from the victim's family over judicial delays. On July 11, the legal representative for Walkar's family accused the defense of "deliberately delaying" the murder trial, prompting plans to appeal to the Delhi High Court for an expedited hearing.

The family's lawyer, Seema Samridhi Kushwaha, spoke out after a local court cancelled a crucial hearing scheduled for July 20. The cancellation occurred because Poonawala notified the court that he was scheduled to take his MA (Sociology) examination at an Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) center inside Tihar jail on that very day.

"The trial has already faced delays. The court had previously fixed hearings from July 20 to July 27. However, Aftab Amin Poonawala's side filed an application stating he had an exam on July 20, following which the court cancelled that date. We were not given an alternative date," Kushwaha stated.

A Family Left Waiting for Justice and Closure

The continuous stalling of the judicial process has left Walkar's family in deep emotional limbo. Kushwaha explained that the trial delays have prevented her relatives from performing Walkar's final rites. Because her recovered body parts "constitute the case property," legal regulations forbid their release to the family until the trial officially concludes. As a result, the family has been unable to lay her to rest.

The tragedy has taken a massive toll on the family over the years. Walkar's mother passed away in 2020. Her father, who was deeply devastated by his daughter’s brutal murder, died of a heart attack in February 2025. Her grandmother also passed away sometime later. "She has a brother who visits occasionally, but I am representing them," Kushwaha added.
 

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