Did not seek bail, Aaftab tells court; lawyer says ‘communication gap’

The court granted time to Aaftab till December 22 to talk to his lawyer and decide whether he wants his bail application to be heard or withdrawn

Aaftab Poonawala, who is accused of killing and chopping his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar into 35 pieces in May, told a Delhi court on Saturday that he was unaware that a bail application was filed on his behalf, following which the court deferred the matter to December 22.

Aaftab Poonawala (28), allegedly sawed Walkar’s body into 35 pieces and kept them in a 300litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in Mehrauli before dumping them across the city over several days. (HT Photo)

Earlier in the day, as the bail plea was taken up at 10.30am, additional sessions judge (ASJ) Vrinda Kumari said she had received an email from Poonawala claiming that the bail plea has been moved erroneously. The court then posted the matter for 11.30am to have a word with Poonawala through video conferencing.

Advocate M S Khan, the newly appointed private counsel for Poonawala, said in court that this was “unprecedented” and there must have been some “pressure” on Poonawala. However, Khan later clarified to HT that when he made these remarks, he had not seen Poonawala’s email to the judge, and that his statement was due to a communication gap between him and Poonawala.

Appearing via video conferencing, Poonawala said that though he had signed the vakalatnama, he was not aware that a bail application would be filed on his behalf. He requested the court to keep the bail plea pending and said he would take a call on pursuing the bail or not only after talking to his lawyer. “I would like the counsel to talk to me and then decide on withdrawing the bail plea,” Poonawala told the court.

Khan then told the court that he would take his client’s instructions, after which the judge adjourned the matter. “Let the bail application be kept pending and only after the accused meets his counsel, it be decided whether the bail application is pressed or not,” the court said.

Special public prosecutor Amit Prasad sought an advance copy of the bail petition.

Poonawala (28), allegedly sawed Walkar’s body into 35 pieces and kept them in a 300litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in Mehrauli before dumping them across the city over several days.