Delhi Police issues status note on Shraddha Murder case; confirms Aaftab's bid to mislead

The Delhi Police on Friday, November 18, issued a status report on the Shraddha murder case in which her live-in partner Aaftab has been arrested. In the report, the police said that the investigation is being undertaken in the 'best possible professional manner'.

In the report, the Delhi police underlined that it became privy to the matter on November 9, when a team of Mumbai Police arrived at Police Station Mehrauli and handed over documents related to the missing of Shraddha, lodged at PS Manikpur, Mumbai. The report mentions that on the basis of the information provided by the Mumbai Police, a case was registered by Delhi Police at Mehrauli Police Station. 

The report read, "During investigation, suspect Aftab Amin Poonawala was traced, apprehended and interrogated. Initially, he tried misleading the interrogators by claiming that ‘A (Shraddha)’ had severed her relationship with him and had left their live-in rented accommodation.It was also stated that in this matter, he had already appeared before the Maharashtra Police in Mumbai and had provided them the same information."

"Unconvinced with this, he was subjected to scientific, sustained interrogation and cross questioning; ultimately, he confessed that he had killed ‘A (Shraddha)’. Elaborating his verbal confessions, he stated that since May 2022, he was living with ‘A (Shraddha)’ in Delhi and on 18.05.22, had strangulated her to death. Thereafter, he had cut the body into pieces and gradually, over a period of time, had disposed-off the pieces," it added. 

In the report, the Delhi Police said that having 'sufficient reasons which warranted deeper investigation', Aaftab Poonawalla was arrested on November 12, and taken on Police custody for five days, which was further extended for another five days on November 17. The Delhi police also said that the place of offence, the rented accommodation in Chattarpur, Mehrauli, has been closely inspected by Crime Team and experts from FSL, Rohini.

"From the place, multiple exhibits have been seized. Following up on the disclosures, various combing operations have been so far carried out at various places, including some forest areas, from where severed bones have been seized.To ascertain that the bones belong to ‘A (Shraddha)’, the blood samples of the father and brother of ‘A (Shraddha)’ have been collected for DNA analysis. To find out if any incriminating evidence resides in the seized digital devices seized from the place of offence, the same have also been sent for forensic retrieval of data," the report read. 

Calling the responses given by Aaftab 'decepetive', the Delhi Police in the report justified filing the application for conducting his Narco-analysis test, which was approved by the Saket Court, and is to be conducted in due course. 

The report added, "Each uttering of the accused is being assessed upon the crucible of admissible evidentiary value. Multiple teams are camping outstation to recreate the lives of accused and ‘A (Shraddha)’ together; similarly, multiple teams are carrying out search operations to recover the missing skeletal parts. Several inter-disciplinary teams are working round the clock for documenting, finding discrepancies and further refining the versions and the motives being put forth by the accused." 

Acknowledging that at this juncture, it will be premature to provide any single theory which can stand the test of judicial scrutiny, the Delhi Police concluded the report saying, "Thus, open minded and open-ended investigation, with the best professionals of Delhi Police, is being carried out in right earnest."