‘Arrest Aaftab’s father too, give maximum sentence’: Shraddha’s father addresses press, meets Devendra Fadnavis

Weeks after the murder of his daughter was uncovered by the Delhi Police, Shraddha Walkar’s father Vikas Walkar addressed a press conference just minutes after prime accused Aaftab Poonawala was presented in front of the Saket court.

Vikas Walkar addressed a press conference on Friday, urging the authorities to give the maximum sentence to Aaftab Poonawala for the heinous and gruesome murder of his daughter Shraddha. Vikas further said Aaftab should be hanged to death for his crimes.

"Aaftab Poonawala should be given capital punishment of hanging for killing my daughter...There should be stern action against Poonawala and whosoever was involved in the case," Walkar told reporters in Mumbai just moments after Aaftab’s custody was extended by 14 days by a Delhi court.

Vikas Walkar also said that he met with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who offered him full assistance from the authorities in the state to solve the grisly murder of his daughter.

Vikas further said, “An inquiry should also be conducted against the police officials of Vasai and Nalasopara and Tulinj police (in Palghar district) for delayed the investigation of Shraddha's complaint. Had they acted immediately, my daughter would have been alive now.”

Shraddha’s father also said that Aaftab Poonawala’s family; primarily his father should also be investigated in relation to the crime. Earlier, Vikas had said that the alleged murderer’s family had insulted him and kicked him out of their house.

Earlier, Shraddha Walkar had filed a complaint against Aaftab, saying that he had been brutally beating her and had threatened to kill her. Her father said that the Mumbai police had taken no action regarding this complaint.

In her complaint, Walkar said, “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 since he has been hitting me. But I did not have the guts to go to the police because he would threaten to kill me."

(With PTI inputs)

READ | Shraddha Walkar murder case: Aaftab Poonawala’s custody extended by 14 days, to remain in Tihar jail