Aaftab heard arguing with Shraddha Walkar in voice clip, say cops amid probe

Aaftab Poonawala - accused of killing his girlfriend Shraddha Walkar and chopping her body into pieces - can be heard arguing with her in a voice clip, the Delhi Police has said in what may emerge as a crucial lead. The case, which was reported from Delhi a few weeks ago, gained wide attention due to the gruesome details which emerged during the investigation. The couple had been staying together for few years and Shraddha was allegedly harassed and thrashed by Poonawala multiple times.

The developments in the probe - linked to the clip - come as a Delhi court last week allowed the police to record the voice samples of Poonawala. Stressing that a fair investigation was required in larger public interest, as per an earlier HT report, metropolitan magistrate Vijayshree Rathore said: “True, fair trial is the right of an accused but it is also true that fair investigation is also required in the larger public interest as the offence cannot escape and crime cannot go unnoticed merely because the accused is not ready to aid in the investigation. Thus, the application moved by IO (investigation officer) seeking permission for voice sampling test of accused is allowed."

The Delhi Police's request for voice sampling was opposed by the accused and his lawyer but the court dismissed the objections.

The 28-year-old accused has been accused of strangling his partner Walkar, 27, at an accommodation the couple had rented in south Delhi’s Chhattarpur Pahadi on May 18. He then alleged dismembered her body into 35 pieces, and dumped the parts in forested areas in the national capital.

A recent forensic analysis report revealed that the victim's body parts were indeed dumped in a forest after the killing.

The case has also triggered concerns about safety of women.