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Shraddha murder: Aaftab sent to 5-day police custody, court allows narco test
The Delhi Police had sought further remand of the accused saying that the cops have to visit Parvati Valley in Himachal Pradesh to dig up more evidence.
A Delhi court on Thursday sent Aaftab Amin Poonawala, who allegedly killed his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar, to five-day police custody and allowed a narco-analysis test on him.
Poonawala was produced before the Saket Court through video conference at 4pm. The Delhi Police had filed an application requesting the court to produce Poonawala virtually due to his security concerns.
Metropolitan magistrate Aviral Shukla said according to the application submitted by police, the accused faced threats from miscreants and religious groups.
"I am aware of the sensitivity of the matter, media coverage...Public traction...," the judge said while allowing the application.
The Delhi Police had sought further remand of the accused saying that the cops have to visit Parvati Valley in Himachal Pradesh to dig up more evidence. The police also said that the Badarpur and the Chattarpur jungles in New Delhi are vast, and it would require time to unearth the parts of the body.
Scores of lawyers gathered outside the courtroom and shouted slogans "Shraddha ke hatyare ko fansi do, fansi do" (Shraddha's murderer should be hanged). They all left soon after the judge accepted the application of the police, seeking production of Aaftab Poonawala, through a video conferencing and said it will be done at 4pm.
In another application, the Delhi Police had sought permission for the narco-analysis test of the accused. The judge had listed the matter for 4.05pm.
Twenty-eight-year-old Poonawala allegedly strangled Shraddha and sawed her body into 35 pieces which he kept in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in south Delhi's Mehrauli before dumping them across the city over several days past midnight.
Police said the couple used to have frequent arguments over financial issues and it is suspected that there was also a fight between them that resulted in Poonawala killing 27-year-old Shraddha on the evening of May 18.
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