The Shraddha Walkar murder case is one of India’s most shocking criminal cases in recent years. The case came to light in November 2022 after the disappearance of 27-year-old Shraddha Walkar. Police alleged that her live-in partner, Aaftab Amin Poonawala, murdered her, dismembered her body, stored the remains in a refrigerator, and disposed of them over several days in the forests around Delhi.
The investigation relied heavily on circumstantial evidence because no eyewitness to the alleged murder was available. Police also collected purchase records, mobile phone data, and internet search history to support the prosecution’s case.
The case attracted nationwide attention because of the alleged brutality, the extensive use of forensic science, and the reliance on digital evidence. It also raised legal questions about circumstantial evidence, confessions, forensic investigation, and the rights of accused persons.
About Victim – Shraddha Walkar
Shraddha Walkar lived with her family until 2018, which consisted of her mother and her brother in Vasai, in the Palghar distt of Maharashtra. She studied in a convent school in Vasai and took admission in a BMM course in Viva Institute of Technology, Virar. She later dropped out from the course. Her father, Vikas Walkar, lived separately and operated an electronics service business. While working at a call centre of an MNC in Malad, Shraddha met Aaftab via the Bumble app. Aaftab was also a resident of Vasai. He went to L.S. Raheja College for BMM studies. He, coincidentally, also worked at the same call centre. In 2019, she moved out to live with him, against her family’s wishes, who opposed the interfaith relationship and the idea of living-in with someone “she barely knew”.
Friends and family of Shraddha have further accused Poonawala of physically abusing Walkar regularly prior to the murder.They were said to frequently argue over financial issues, and they were arguing when the murder took place. During interrogation, Aftab confessed to the crime and said that they fought often as Shraddha was pressurizing him for marriage.
Shraddha’s father, Vikas Walkar, confirmed that he had repeatedly disapproved of Shraddha’s relationship with Poonawala, because he was a Muslim and could “resort to domestic voilence against her.He also stated that he had no idea that she was living in Delhi, and thought that she was in Bangalore. Whenever he asked her about her partner, she would not speak much about him. Her father also stated that she was closer to her uncle than to him.
About Accused – Aaftab Poonawala
Aaftab Ameen Poonawala is a Gujarati muslims of the Khoja caste, and worked at the same MNC call centre as Shraddha Walkar, whom he met on Bumble. He confessed to the murder after the police discovered discrepancies in his statements and recovered evidence of the murder. He was then taken to the forest to identify Shraddha’s remains. The police brought a dog squad to discover the body parts. However, many pieces, including the head, could not be found. Thirteen decomposed parts of her body were found, of which mostly pieces of bones remained. Upon a DNA match, it was confirmed that the body parts indeed belonged to Shraddha.
Being a trained chef, Aaftab knew how to dismember and preserve flesh.The Delhi Police also revealed that after searching on Google, he cleaned blood stains from the floor with some chemicals and disposed of the stained clothes. Aaftab had taken inspiration from the TV show Dexter to dispose the body. He used to sleep in the same room where he had chopped the victim’s body. He used to see the face after keeping it in the fridge and also cleaned the fridge after disposing of the body parts. He started by chopping off her liver and intestines.
In his confession, Aaftab stated that he had planned to kill Shraddha Walkar a week before he actually did it. However, seeing her emotional and crying, he decided to “hold back for later”. He believed Shraddha Walkar had trust issues and accused him of cheating whenever he talked to someone on the phone.
Poonawala showed no remorse or regret for the heinous crime he committed. He admitted to using online dating apps like Bumble to target Hindu women and also bragged about allegedly luring in 20 more Hindu girls in love with him and wishing to do the same to them. Poonawala also claimed that he’ll be remembered as a Shahid (Islamic martyr) amongst Muslims in India and would go to Jannat (Islamic heaven) to get 72 hoors(virgins).
On 31 July 2023, Shraddha Walkar’s father, Vikas Madan Walkar, was presented before the session court in Saket as a prosecution witness, where he testified that Aaftab Poonawala told him that he had purchased a shovel, two knives, and a hammer and cut both of Shraddha’s wrists during the night, placing the body parts in a polythene bag
In the same session, Shraddha’s brother Shreejay Walkar also testified against Aaftab, stating that two weeks after leaving her home, Shraddha told him that she and Aaftab were fighting a lot —verbal and physical She had told him that Aaftab would beat her up occasionally.In spite of trying to reason with her, she refused to breakup with him, saying that Aaftab would apologise to her after every fight, and she would accept the apology and continue living with him. Following this, Shreejay’s interaction with Shraddha also reduced substantially, after he believed she has been completely influenced by Aaftab. After the death of their mother, Shreejay advised Shraddha to breakup with Aaftab again, which she did not listen to.
Historical Background
Shraddha Walkar was originally from Maharashtra and worked at a call centre, where she met Aaftab Amin Poonawala. They entered into a relationship and later moved to Delhi in 2022, living together in Mehrauli.
According to the prosecution, the relationship became strained due to frequent arguments. On 18 May 2022, Aaftab allegedly strangled Shraddha after an argument. The case remained undiscovered for nearly six months until Shraddha’s father filed a missing-person complaint after losing contact with her. Police traced her last known location to Delhi, leading to an investigation and Aaftab’s arrest in November 2022.
Chronological Timeline (2022–2026)
18 May 2022: Shraddha Walkar was allegedly murdered in Mehrauli, Delhi.
May–June 2022: Police allege that Aaftab dismembered the body and disposed of the remains over several days.
September–October 2022: Shraddha’s family and friends failed to contact her.
November 2022: Shraddha’s father lodged a missing complaint; Delhi Police began an investigation.
12 November 2022: Aaftab Amin Poonawala was arrested.
November–December 2022:Human remains, forensic evidence, and digital records were collected.
January 2023: Delhi Police filed a detailed chargesheet.
May 2023: Charges were framed against Aaftab.
2024–2026: Trial continued before the Saket Court with examination of witnesses and forensic experts.
2026: The Delhi High Court declined to set a fixed deadline for the trial, observing that day-to-day proceedings were already underway.
Delhi Police Investigation :
The Delhi Police reconstructed the sequence of events using scientific and digital evidence. Investigators searched the rented flat in Mehrauli, recovered suspected biological traces, seized electronic devices, examined CCTV footage, questioned witnesses, and searched nearby forests for human remains.
The investigation relied heavily on circumstantial evidence because no eyewitness to the alleged murder was available. Police also collected purchase records, mobile phone data, and internet search history to support the prosecution’s case.
Role of Forensic Science :
1. DNA Profiling
Bones recovered from forest areas were compared with DNA samples obtained from Shraddha’s family. DNA analysis helped identify some of the recovered remains as belonging to Shraddha.
2. Biological Evidence
Forensic experts examined blood stains, bone fragments, and biological traces recovered from the rented apartment and other locations.
3. Crime Scene Examination
Experts inspected the apartment for blood traces, cleaning chemicals, and possible evidence of dismemberment. Scientific techniques were used to detect traces that might not be visible to the naked eye.
4. Medical and Anthropological Examination
Recovered skeletal remains were examined to determine whether they were human and to assist in identification. Due to decomposition, establishing the precise cause of death from the remains alone was difficult, making corroborative evidence important.
Impact on Indian Criminal Jurisprudence
The Shraddha Walkar case has highlighted:
The growing importance of DNA profiling and forensic science.
The role of digital evidence in criminal investigations.
The need for scientific crime scene management.
The importance of balancing public outrage with the constitutional guarantee of a fair trial.
The case has also increased public awareness about domestic violence, missing-person investigations, and the evidentiary challenges in homicide cases without eyewitnesses.
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