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Prove my link with Aaftab Poonawala and I will quit politics: BJP leader

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said he is ready to take a lie-detector test to prove that he is not related to Aaftab Amin Poonawala, who is accused of killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walker in Delhi.

Updated on: Nov 16, 2022, 11:33:08 IST
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In connection with the Mehrauli murder where accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala chopped the body of his live-in partner Shraddha Walker, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said if the Aam Aadmi Party can prove within 24 hours that he is a relative of Aaftab, then he will quit politics. On Tuesday, Shehzad Poonawala sent a legal notice to AAP's Naresh Balyan who questioned whether Aaftab Poonawala has any connection with Shehzad Poonawala, going by their surname. "If there is no relationship between them, then why is Shehzad Poonawala fleeing?" the AAP MLA tweeted on Tuesday. Also Read: Delhi murder: Shraddha’s friends say she wanted to leave Aftab ‘but couldn’t...’

AAP leader Naresh Balyan asked whether BJP's Shehzad Poonawala is a relative of Aaftab Amin Poonawala of the Mehrauli murder case.
AAP leader Naresh Balyan asked whether BJP's Shehzad Poonawala is a relative of Aaftab Amin Poonawala of the Mehrauli murder case.

Shehzad replied to the tweet and said his lawyer will send a notice to the AAP leader for the "unsubstantiated, reckless and defamatory statements". The AAP leader said he can't be scared by the legal notice and that he will raise his voice seeking justice for Shradhha Walker.

In a fresh statement on Wednesday, the BJP leader said if the AAP leader can prove within 24 hours that Shehzad is related to Aaftab, he will quit politics. "There are many people by the surname of Poonawala," Shehzad said claiming that Arvind Kejriwal should reply to his questions. "If they can't prove any link, then Arvind Kejriwal will have to quit politics," the BJP leader said.

Shraddha Walker murder case and political slugfest

Aaftab Amin Poonawala was arrested on the charges of murdering his live-in partner Shraddha Walker after Shradhha pressured Aaftab for marriage. The duo were dating for quite some time and shifted from Maharashtra to Delhi this year. The murder took place on May 18, following a fight but came to light only this week after Shraddha's father filed a complaint. Gruesome details emerged from Aaftab's confession of how he chopped Shraddha's body in 35 pieces and then stored them in a freezer so that he can dispose the pieces of one by one.

The murder triggered a political slugfest with Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra accusing the Congress and the AAP of maintaining silence. "Have you read any tweet or statement from Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Kharge ji or Arvind Kejriwal," Narottam Mishra said.

AAP leader Naresh Balyan on the other hand questioned whether BJP's Shehzad Poonawala is somehow connected with Aaftab.

In his legal notice to Naresh Balyan, Shehzad said the tweet is misconceived, frivolous and outrageous. "That despite knowing that my client has no relation with Aftab Poonawala, you have issued this tweet under scrutiny deliberately and intentionally to defame my client," the notice said. It also said that Shehzad Poonawala is ready to submit a lie detector test that he is not related to Aaftab Poonawala. "My client has been receiving many calls from his friends, relatives, commoners, supporters and other members of the society, each of them inquiring about the rumour..." it said.

  • Poulomi Ghosh
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Poulomi Ghosh

    Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi.

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