Shraddha murder: Maharashtra govt to set up special team for safety of eloped girls

ShraddhaWalkar, who hails from Mumbai, was brutally murdered by her live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala, six months ago, but the incident was unearthed recently.

The Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government has decided to build a special squad for the security of girls leaving home, after a quarrel with their parents as the horrific murder of Shraddha Walkar has sent shockwaves across the nation. The Maharashtra government said on Saturday that the state women's commission will form a special squad to protect the safety of women who elope while in a relationship or flee their homes against the wish of their parents.

The Maharashtra government said on Saturday that the state women's commission will form a special squad to protect the safety of women who elope while in a relationship.

"I've directed the state women's commission to form a special squad (to ensure the protection of girls fleeing their homes). Once a girl becomes an adult, she can't be forcibly either by her family or the police. However, when she gets into a fight with her family members, marries against their wish and elopes, she knows she won't get any help from her family in the event of trouble," Mangal Prabhat Lodha, minister for skill development and entrepreneurship in Maharashtra was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Watch: CCTV footage shows Aaftab walking with bag outside his home

Walkar, who hails from Mumbai, was brutally murdered by her live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala, six months ago, but the incident was unearthed recently. Poonawala chopped her body into at least 35 pieces for over two days, stored them in a refrigerator, for about three months, and dumped the body parts piece by piece in different parts of south Delhi.

While the accused confessed to his crime, and is currently in police custody, a team of Delhi Police is currently in Mumbai as part of their ongoing probe in the case.

After a dispute with her parents, Shraddha allegedly fled the house, claiming she wanted to move in with her boyfriend. Later, the couple moved to Delhi and settled into a leased apartment in Chhatarpur.

The incident came to light when Walkar's father filed a First Information Report (FIR). On the receipt of a complaint from Shraddha's father, Delhi Police registered an FIR on November 10.

During his interrogation with police, Aaftab confessed to have killed Shraddha on May 18 after which he planned to dispose of her body in a manner so as not to arouse suspicion.

According to reports, before hacking off Shraddha's body, he said to the authorities that he took ideas from his favourite crime shows on streaming sites and also did some research on human anatomy.

(With inputs from agency)