The murder of a Delhi live-in partner may not appear uncommon at first, but 20,000 litres of water are free, which is why water use is being investigated.
New Delhi: Police are looking into how Aftab Poonawala, who reportedly murdered his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and dismembered her body in Mehrauli, Delhi, came up with a water bill even though 20,000 litres is free every month. According to insiders, cops are considering a constantly running faucet to conceal any chopping sounds, hot water to wash the blood off the body, and chemicals mixed with water to eliminate stains from the flat.
Most residences in the colony have a ‘zero’ bill since 20,000 litres a day – about 35 buckets a day – is more than enough for a household. According to the investigation, the pair had moved into the rented flat on May 14, but Aftab Poonawala had been living alone since May 18, the day he reportedly murdered Shraddha Walkar.
“Such a hefty water bill is pretty astonishing,” said Rajendra Kumar, the father of unit owner Rohan Kumar, who stated the rent was 9,000 per month. According to sources, the rent agreement has both names: Shraddha’s first, then Aftab’s. “He transferred the rent online between the 8th and 10th of every month,” Rajendra Kumar explained, “so I never had to travel to the flat.”
They both worked in contact centres and lived together in Maharashtra’s Vasai, a town near Mumbai, before migrating to Delhi.
Aftab Poonawala was detained earlier this month after her parents, who had not spoken to her since last year due to their dissatisfaction with her interfaith (Hindu-Muslim) relationship, went to the cops. Shraddha’s friends had informed him that she hadn’t been heard from in over two months, prompting him to submit a missing report and, later, a kidnap case. Cops from Maharashtra and Delhi then worked together to solve the case.
According to investigators, after murdering her during an argument about household finances and infidelity, he used a knife to carve up her body, put it in a new fridge he bought, and dropped it in a neighbouring jungle over 18 days.
Police have asked permission to conduct a lie detector test on Aftab to bolster the case before the trial. According to the authorities, the report of DNA tests to determine whether anybody pieces discovered in the forest are Shraddha’s will take 15 days.
Police say they have Aftab’s confession, which he can technically retract in court; evidence that he bought a knife and fridge on May 19, a day after the murder; bones found in the jungle; blood found in the kitchen; bank details of 54,000 that Aftab obtained from Shraddha’s account; call records and location data from phones; Shraddha’s bag from the flat; and statements from her father and friends.
However, the knife or saw used to dismember the body has yet to be discovered. So far, most of her body part is missing. Aftab and Shraddha’s clothes from the day of the murder have also not been located. Shraddha’s phone is still untraceable.
