| Shraddha Walkar | |
| Birth Date: | 1995 |
| Birth Place: | Maharashtra, India |
| Death Place: | Delhi, India |
| Death Cause: | Strangulation in domestic violence |
| Occupation: | Call center employee |
Shraddha Walkar was a 27-year-old Indian woman who was murdered by her 28-year-old boyfriend and live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala in Delhi on 18 May 2022.[1] Walkar's father accused Poonawala of waging what he called love jihad.[2]
The case only came to light nearly six months after the murder, when Shraddha's father lodged a missing persons complaint after learning from Shraddha's friends that they were unable to contact her for over two-and-a-half months.[3] On 18 May 2022, 28-year-old Aaftab Poonawala strangled his live-in partner Shraddha over an argument and then proceeded to dismember her body into 35 pieces, allegedly charring her face to hide her identity.[4] A 300-litre fridge was used to store her body parts,[5] [6] which were individually disposed in the Chhatarpur forest over the next 18 days, at around 2 AM every night to avoid suspicion.[7] [8]
Poonawala was arrested by the Delhi Police on 12 November 2022.[9] Shraddha's father has demanded the death penalty for Aaftab.[10]
Shraddha Walkar lived with her family until 2018, which consisted of her mother and brother in Vasai, Palghar District, Maharashtra. She studied in a convent school in Vasai and took admission in a BMM course in Viva Institute of Technology, Virar. She later dropped out from the course. Her father, Vikas Walkar, lived separately and operated an electronics service business. While working at a call centre of an MNC in Malad, Shraddha met Aaftab Amin Poonawala via the Bumble app. Aaftab is also resident of Vasai. He went to L.S. Raheja College for BMM studies. He, coincidentally, also worked at the same call centre. In 2019, she moved out to live with him, against her family's wishes, who opposed the interfaith relationship and the idea of living-in with someone "she barely knew".[11]
Friends and family of Shraddha have further accused Poonawala of physically abusing Walkar regularly prior to the murder.[12] They were said to frequently argue over financial issues, and they were arguing when the murder took place.[13]
Aaftab Poonawala worked at the same MNC call center as Shraddha Walkar. He confessed to the murder after the police discovered discrepancies in his statements and recovered evidence of the murder. He was then taken to the forest to identify Shraddha's remains.[14] [15] [16] The police brought a dog squad to discover the body parts. However, many pieces, including the head, could not be found. Thirteen decomposed parts of her body were found, of which mostly pieces of bones remained. Upon a DNA match, it was confirmed that the body parts indeed belonged to Shraddha.[17]
Aaftab Amin Poonawalla was charged by Delhi police for killing Shraddha Walkar and chopping her body in May 2022. The chargesheet was based on evidence and witness testimony. Police allege he strangled Shraddha and disposed of remains. Aaftab was arrested after investigation found last location in Delhi.[18] He is currently lodged in Tihar Jail cell number 4 in West Delhi, where he is constantly surveilled.[19]
On 29 November 2022, when Aaftab was being taken back to jail from the Forensic Science Laboratory of West Delhi, the police van was attacked by sword-wielding members of Hindu Sena. The organisation distanced itself from the incident, saying what the activists did was out of their personal motive, and that the organisation shall never support any act that is against the Constitution of India.
Kaushal Kishore, the Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affair, said that couples who wish to live together must register in court or should have proper registration. He also added that women should stay away from such live-in relationships.[20] [21]
The case was cited by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad as an example of love jihad, who demanded that the central government make laws to stop such incidents from happening, adding that they have recorded 420 incidents of love jihad in the past ten years from New Delhi alone. The group also decided to launch a campaign from 21 to 31 December 2022 to raise awareness about love jihad.[22]
An interfaith wedding reception that had to take place on 20 November 2022 in Vasai, the town Aaftab and Shraddha belonged to, had to be cancelled because of local Hindu and Muslim organisations contacting the owner of the marriage hall and urging him to cancel the event to ensure peace in the area.[23] The incident was a result of the editor-in-chief of Sudharshan News Suresh Chavanke doxing the couple's wedding invitation card on Twitter. While initially the couple had no idea their wedding invitation card had gone viral on social media, they decided to call off the reception following the political discourse it had taken.[24]