Shraddha Walkar murder: DNA analysis of recovered bones to be out this week

‘Officials at the forensic laboratory informally told us that they will give us the results anytime this week. The test results will either be a big breakthrough or could be a setback. We have our fingers crossed,’ said an officer aware of the development.

The Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) is likely to release the DNA report analysis of 13 decomposed bones and part of a jaw, collected as part of the investigation into the Shraddha Walkar murder case, sometime this week, Delhi Police officers aware of the matter said on Monday.

Shraddha Walkar was allegedly strangled by her live-in partner Aaftab Poonawala. (PTI)

Walker, 27, was allegedly killed by her boyfriend Aaftab Poonawala, 28, at their rented flat in south Delhi’s Chhattarpur Pahadi on May 18. Poonawala is further accused of chopping up her body into at least 35 pieces and dumping the body parts in forested areas in and around Delhi. He was arrested for the murder on November 12.

Decomposed bones that investigators retrieved on the basis of Poonawala’s confession made during his 14-day police custody were sent to the CFSL to confirm if they belong to Walkar.

“Officials at the forensic laboratory informally told us that they will give us the results anytime this week. The test results will either be a big breakthrough, or could be a setback. We have our fingers crossed,” said an officer aware of the development, on condition of anonymity, noting that if the bone samples do not match Walkar’s DNA, police only have circumstantial evidence to buttress their case against Poonawala.

Over the last 10 days, Poonawala underwent a polygraph test and a narco analysis after police was granted permission for the same. An FSL official, who asked not to be named, said, “We are preparing the report of the polygraph and narco tests and will hand them over to the police.”

To be sure, any claims Poonawala made during his police custody are inadmissible in court, as are the results of the narco analysis and polygraph test conducted on him. However, investigators hope they will help them collect concrete proof to build a watertight case against him.

The only confession that stands the legal test is a statement recorded before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).