Aftab Poonawala's questioning by Delhi Police has revealed horrific details
Aftab Ameen Poonawala, who allegedly killed his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and chopped her body into pieces before dumping the parts in the forest in May, would have committed the murder earlier, but for an "emotional moment", sources have said.
Aftab Poonawala's questioning by the Delhi Police since Monday has revealed horrific details of how he allegedly ended up killing his girlfriend on May 18 and disposing of her body in pieces.
Aftab, 28, would have killed Shraddha Walkar 10 days before he did, police sources said today.
The two had fought fiercely at the time, and Aftab "would have strangled her that very day", the sources said.
"But suddenly, Shraddha became emotional and started weeping, and Aftab hesitated," said the sources.
The two had been bickering over Shraddha Walkar's suspicion that Aftab was cheating on her and speaking to another woman on his phone.
They had been together for three years after meeting on the dating app Bumble.
Sources claimed Shraddha was upset that Aftab's feelings had suddenly changed, and she would often lash out at him.
On May 18, after another row, Aftab allegedly "sat on her chest" and strangled her. The next day, he allegedly sawed her body into 35 pieces and stored the parts in a new fridge he bought from a nearby store.
Sources said after chopping the body, Aftab kept the severed head separately, wrapped. "He used to look at the head every day," police sources said.
Yesterday, the police took Aftab to the forests in Mehrauli, south Delhi, where he allegedly dumped the body parts, one by one, going out at 2 am over 18 days.
About 10 bags full of body parts were found. They will be DNA tested.
The police have found more bloodstains in the kitchen of the Chhattarpur apartment that the two shared.
The apartment is full of books, said the police, and Aftab appears well-read.
Aftab and Shraddha Walkar left Mumbai and spent much of March and April in the hills. They arrived in Delhi on May 8 and stayed at different places until they moved into the Chhattarpur apartment on May 15. Three days later, Shraddha Walkar was murdered.