The gruesome and harrowing killing of Shraddha Walkar has shaken up the entire nation, while the prime accused in the case – her live-in partner Aaftab Poonawala – has been arrested by the Delhi police and is now being questioned over the crime.
Shraddha Walkar was strangled by Aaftab after an argument broke out between the couple in their rented flat in Delhi’s Mehrauli on May 18. Walkar was strangled by Aaftab in the middle of the argument, and then he cut up her body in 35 pieces to get rid of it bit by bit over the course of three weeks.
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Aaftab and Shraddha started living together on May 2022, and the arguments between the couple had become heated. Shraddha had also told her friends that she feared for her life as Aaftab had been beating her during arguments.
Who was Shraddha Walkar?
Shraddha Walkar was a 27-year-old woman who used to reside in Evershine City in Vasai East in Maharashtra. Walkar used to work at a BPO (call centre) when she struck up a relationship with Poonawala. Walkar’s mother died some years ago, and she is currently survived by her father.
Shraddha and Aaftab’s ‘killer’ love story
Shraddha and Aaftab had been in a relationship since 2018, for a total of four years. The two had struck up a friendship after having conversations on a dating app in 2018, and eventually fell in love. Both Shraddha and Aaftab were living in Maharashtra at the time.
Soon, Shraddha and Aaftab started living together in Mumbai but her family did not approve of the relationship. Shraddha later told her family that she had intentions of marrying Aaftab, but her father and brother did not approve of the relationship and became estranged.
The couple later moved to Delhi’s Mehrauli in 2022 and were residing in a two-bedroom flat. What started out as a love story soon became an abusive relationship after Shraddha started reaching out t her friends, alleging that Aaftab is beating her and might kill her.
On May 18, Aaftab strangled Shraddha after a fight where she suspected that he was having an affair. Aaftab had also reportedly denied marrying Walkar during the fight. After the murder, Aaftab cut up Shraddha’s body in 35 pieces and stored it in the fridge of his house.
READ | Shraddha Walkar murder: How victim's Instagram account unravelled Aaftab Poonawala's conspiracy
