17 December, 2022 | Pranay Lad
Aaftab Poonawala, who is accused of the murder of his partner Shraddha Walkar, appeared in court in Delhi through video conference.
In spite of hiring a new attorney for his case, Aaftab Poonawala, who is suspected of murdering his live-in girlfriend Shraddha Walkar, said in court in Delhi that he was not aware that a bail application had been made on his behalf. As a result, the judge postponed consideration of the case.
Poonawala’s attorney M. S. Khan was informed earlier this morning by Additional Sessions Judge Vrinda Kumari at Saket district court that his client had denied moving a bail application through his attorney in an email and claimed the application had been filed incorrectly.
Khan informed the court that this was unprecedented and suggested that “some pressure” may have been present in this situation.
Around 11.30 am, Poonawala came before the court via video conference and stated that although having signed the vakalatnama, he was unaware that a bail application would be made on his behalf. A vakalatnama is a legal document that the defendant uses to provide the attorney representation rights. He asked that his bail application be left pending and said that he will determine whether to pursue the current bail application after speaking with his attorney. The hearing has been postponed by the court until December 22.
When asked by the judge if he planned to withdraw the bail application, Poonawala responded, “I would like the counsel to talk to me and then withdraw the bail request.”
Poonawala, 28, is charged with murdering Shraddha Walkar, 27, on May 18 and dismembering her body into more than 30 pieces before disposing of them over the course of two to three months.
