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Girls will be dying like Shraddha until...: Delhi women panel chief Swati Maliwal slams ‘hollow’ system
Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal shared the hand-written complaint of Shraddha Walkar made in 2020 and asked why no action was taken on it.
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Shraddha Walkar who was strangled and then butchered by her live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala in Delhi had complained against her abusive boyfriend in 2020 in Maharashtra. As the complaint letter was made public on Wednesday, Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal raised questions over the investigation at that time -- why no action was taken by the police. Blaming the system of the country, Swati Maliwal said, "As long as the system of the country will remain so hollow, girls will keep dying like this." Read | 'Shraddha said don't worry, such things happen': A friend's account of what happened 2 years ago
On November 23, 2020, Shraddha complained against Aaftab in which she narrated how Aaftab threatened her that he would strangle her and cut up into pieces. In the complaint letter, Shraddha wrote Aaftab tried to kill her on that day. "Poonawala has been abusing me and beating me up." "Today, he tried to kill me by suffocating me and he scares and blackmails me that he will kill me, cut me up in pieces and throw me anyway. It's been six months he has been hitting me. But I did not have the guts to go to police because he would threaten to kill me," Walkar said in the complaint adding that Aaftab's parents were aware of the entire issue. Shraddha and Aaftab were living together as they were about to get married 'with the blessings' of Aaftab's parents, Shraddha wrote. But following the regular torture, she was not willing to stay with Aaftab, she informed the police in that letter.
Why was Shraddha Walkar's 2020 complaint against Aaftab closed?
After the 2020 letter became public, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar questioned the role of the Maharashtra police. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said he saw the letter and some very serious allegations were raised by Shraddha. An inquiry will be initiated into why no action was taken by the police at that time, he said.
Maharashtra Police on Wednesday said they began the investigation but the case was closed after Shraddha submitted a statement withdrawing the case. DCP of Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) Commissionerate, Suhas Bavache said that Shraddha in her written statement had stated that "the dispute between herself and Aaftab Poonawala was resolved."
"Whatever necessary action had to be taken in that matter was done by police at that time. The application that was given by the complainant was also investigated. After the investigation, the complainant herself gave a written statement that there is no dispute. Her friend's parents also cajoled her to resolve the dispute. She gave the written statement and after that the case was closed," said Bawche.
Shraddha's former colleague Karan too confirmed that Shraddha did not pursue the case following the intervention of Aaftab's parents who promised her that Aaftab would move out of the flat.
