Delhi Police on Saturday started draining a pond in South Delhi to search for the remains of Shraddha Walkar.
Shraddha was allegedly murdered by her live-in partner Aaftab Poonawala in May, following which he chopped her body in 35 parts and disposed them in the forests of Delhi. While Delhi Police has found some remains, it's looking for more.
The Delhi Police has also sent teams to other states, including Shraddha's home state Maharashtra, as part of their investigation.
In other developments, police and forensic experts are also preparing to hold Aaftab's narco-analysis test.
Delhi Police drains pond
Intensifying its search, Delhi Police on Sunday began draining a pond in South Delhi's Maidangarhi to retrieve the remains of Shraddha.
Delhi Police along with teams of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) were involved in pumping out water from a pond since Sunday afternoon. The exercise began following Aaftab's claim that he had thrown Shraddha's head and some other remains in the water body.
So far, Delhi Police has found parts of a skull and some bones of Shraddha in a nearby forest areas of Delhi and neighbouring Gurgaon. The remains will be sent for forensic analysis.
Delhi Police took accused Aaftab to the flat where he and Shraddha lived to gather more evidence. Investigators have recovered a bag of Shraddha's belongings, including her shoes and clothes from the house.
Preparations for Aaftab's narco test
The officials of Delhi Police and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) held a meeting as they prepared to conduct a narco-analysis test through which they are hoping to get some vital clues from the accused.
"We have taken up the matter. Our teams of forensic experts had an elaborative discussion with the officials of Delhi Police regarding the narco analysis test to be conducted and are preparing for the same," said a senior official from Rohini-based FSL.
A Delhi court had on Thursday directed the Delhi Police to complete the narco analysis test within five days, while making it clear that it cannot use any third degree measure on him.
In narco test, a chemical is injected into a person which puts them in a state in which it's considered that a person cannot lie. Along with polygraph test, a narco test has not been proved to be 100 per cent accurate though.
Locals concerned over pond draining
Locals in South Delhi's Maidangarhi area area concerned over the draining of the pond by Delhi Police as part of Shraddha Walkar murder case.
"We have heard that some body parts are dumped here and the search for them is underway. They are taking out the water from the pond. This pond supplies water to the tubewells in the area," said Mahavir Pradhan, president of the RWA of the village.
He said that they are ready to help the police but there could be another way of finding the body parts, rather than emptying the pond.
"Divers could have been deployed to look for the body parts," said Pradhan.
Delhi Police probe spread across states
In Maharashtra, a Delhi Police team called three persons known to Shraddha in Palghar district to record their statements. The team is in Manikpur in Palghar's Vasai, which is the native place of Shraddha and where she and Aaftab had stayed before shifting to Delhi.
On Saturday, Delhi Police had recorded statements of four persons in Palghar - two men from whom Shraddha had sought assistance after she was assaulted by Aaftab in 2020, a former manager of the call centre in Mumbai where Shraddha worked, and her female friend.
In all, the Delhi Police on Friday sent teams to Maharashtra, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh to hunt for evidence in the case.
According to officials, after leaving Mumbai, Shraddha and Aaftab had travelled to several locations, including in Himachal Pradesh, and police are visiting these places to ascertain whether any development during those trips triggered Poonawala's actions.
Wanted to destroy all her evidence: Aaftab
Sources privy to the probe said that Aaftab claimed that he burnt three photographs of Shraddha in the kitchen after killing her. During interrogation, Aaftab said that he had developed a hatred for Shraddha and combed through the various belongings of the couple after murdering her.
The three big photographs of Shraddha were in his bedroom, including two solo photographs from their Uttarakhand tour and a 2020 picture of the couple near Mumbai's Gateway of India.
During interrogation, Aaftab said that he wanted to destroy every evidence related to Walkar in the house. Police have recovered a bag of Shraddha's belongings, including her shoes and clothes from the house.
It will be a very difficult case: Experts
As the police are scouring for evidence to nail Aaftab in court and ensure his conviction, experts have said that circumstantial evidence and forensic examination hold the key in such cases.
Noting that it is a six-month-old murder, former Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava said the scene of the crime has been cleaned up and police are depending on the confession of the accused, who seems to be a "clever" person.
"It is going to be a very difficult case and will require the help of all organs of the criminal justice system to nail him down. Police will get what it can, but the court will also have to understand the situation and act accordingly," he told PTI.
Aaftab had allegedly murdered Sraddha in May when they moved into their South Delhi home. Soon after moving in, Aaftab and Shraddha had an argument over the question of marriage. Within days of the argument, Aaftab allegedly killed Shraddha and and chopped his body in 35 parts and dumped her remains in forests across Delhi. He allegedly stored the chopped remains in a fridge as disposed off the parts in batches.
(With PTI inputs)
