Delhi live-in murder: TV show 'Dexter', new fridge, agarbatti - How accused Aftab covered gory crime
Delhi live-in murder: After strangling Shraddha to death, Aftab chopped her into 35 pieces and stored the body parts in a newly-purchased fridge.
Delhi live-in murder/Shraddha Walkar murder case: Twenty six-year-old Shraddha Walkar had moved to Delhi from Mumbai with her partner Aftab Ameen Poonawala after her parents didn't approve of their inter-faith relationship. She had plans to settle in the capital city after marrying Aftab. But 'marriage' killed all her dreams.
According to the police, Aftab and Shraddha had a heated argument on May 18 over marriage. Shraddha had been asking her boyfriend to get married, but Aftab was not ready for it. He strangled her in a fit of rage.
"Around mid-May, the couple had an argument over marriage, which escalated and Poonawala killed her," Ankit Chauhan, Additional DCP-I, South district said.
Aftab's sensational post-murder plan
Aftab, 28, wasn't perturbed by what he did. Infact, he planned his moves meticulously. He was inspired by American crime show 'Dexter', say police officers probing the case. The crime thriller series, first aired in 2006, is about a serial killer who spends his days solving crimes and nights committing them.
ALSO READ: Delhi: Man chops live-in partner into 35 pieces, disposes them off across city over 18 days
The man first chopped Shraddha's body in to 35 pieces and then purchased new 300-litre refgrigerator to store them in the sweltering May heat of Delhi. Aftab even used agarbatti (incense sticks) in the flat to prevent any stench. He even ordered food online and carried on his business normally.
Aftab wrapped the chopped body parts neatly and disposed them at different places across Mehrauli. He would walk out of his apartment with the 'packets' at 2 am to avoid being noticed by anyone, the police said. It took him 18 days to dispose off all the chopped body pieces one-by-one.
The police said Aftab was a trained chef hence he knew to use a meat knife perfectly.
How the murder was uncovered
The gory murder was uncovered only after Shraddha's father came to Delhi from Mumbai in search of his daughter.
According to a complaint filed by the victim's father in Mumbai, one of her friends informed them in September that the woman's phone had been unreachable for two months. The complaint alleged that Aftab Poonawala used to beat up Shraddha on occasions and that she had informed her family about it earlier.
"The woman's father called the accused up but was told that the couple had parted ways sometime back. Unable to contact his daughter, the man then filed a missing complaint," Chauhan said.
Aftab has been remanded to a five-day custody and further investigation is underway.