Delhi court cancels July 20 hearing in Shraddha Walkar murder case as Aaftab Poonawala appears for MA exam
A Delhi court has cancelled the scheduled hearing in the Shraddha Walkar murder case on July 20 after accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala informed the court that he would be appearing for his final MA Sociology examination conducted by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) inside Tihar Jail.
Additional Sessions Judge Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi, in an order dated July 8, accepted Poonawala's plea seeking exemption from physical production before the court on the day of his examination.
According to the court order, Poonawala's IGNOU examinations are being held from July 11 to July 20 at the examination centre inside Central Jail No. 3, Tihar, where he is currently lodged as an undertrial prisoner.
The accused informed the court that his final MA Sociology examination is scheduled from 2 pm to 5 pm on July 20, making it impossible for him to attend the court proceedings on the same day.
Allowing the request, the court cancelled the hearing fixed for July 20 and directed that the recording of prosecution evidence would commence from July 21 at 2 pm. The remaining dates already fixed for the proceedings will continue as scheduled.
The court had earlier ordered day-to-day recording of prosecution evidence from July 20 to July 25, while fresh dates for hearings in August are yet to be finalised.
According to the prosecution, eight witnesses are yet to be examined. The chief examination of 13 prosecution witnesses has been partly recorded, while the testimony of 12 witnesses has been deferred.
Shraddha Walkar, a 27-year-old call centre employee, was allegedly murdered by her live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala in May 2022 at their rented apartment in Delhi's Mehrauli.
The prosecution alleges that Poonawala strangled Walkar, dismembered her body, stored the remains in a refrigerator and disposed of them at multiple locations across Delhi over several days. He was arrested on November 12, 2022, and has been facing trial since 2023.
