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.
[2] 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.
[3][2] A 300-litre fridge was used to store her body parts,[4][5] which were individually disposed in the Chhatarpur forest over the next 18 days, at around 2 AM every night to avoid suspicion.
[9] Shraddha Walkar lived with her family until 2018, which consisted of her mother and brother in Vasai, Palghar District, Maharashtra.
While working at a call centre of an MNC in Malad, Shraddha met Aaftab Amin Poonawala via the Bumble app.
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".
[10] Friends and family of Shraddha have further accused Poonawala of physically abusing Walkar regularly prior to the murder.
[14] On 31 July 2023, Shraddha Walkar's father, Vikas Madan Walkar, was presented before the sessions court in Saket as a prosecution witness, where he testified that Aaftab Poonawala told him that he had purchased a shovel, two knives, and a hammer and cut both of Shraddha's wrists during the night, placing the body parts in a polythene bag.
[22] In spite of trying to reason with her, she refused to breakup with him, saying that Aaftab would apologise to her after every fight, and she would accept the apology and continue living with him.
[24] Aaftab Amin Poonawalla was charged by Delhi police for killing Shraddha Walkar and chopping her body in May 2022.
[27] 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.
[28] The order was passed by a bench headed by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait on a petition filed by Poonawala, saying that he cannot be kept in solitary confinement under the "garb of security".
[29] 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.
[34] 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.
In a statement given to the police, Joy confessed that he needed money to go to Chennai, but his father not only refused, but also beat him and his mother.
[40][41][42] On 9 February 2023, Nikki Yadav was strangled to death with a charging cable by her husband, Sahil Gehlot in Najafgarh, Delhi.
[43][44][45] On 14 February 2023, Megha, a 37 year old nurse was murdered by her live-in partner and stuffed in a mattress in Palghar, Maharashtra.