Mehrauli murder: Blood samples of victim's father, brother collected for DNA analysis
New Delhi(PTI): The blood samples of the father and brother of the woman, who was allegedly killed and sawed into 35 pieces by her live-in partner in Mehrauli here, have been collected for DNA matching with skeletal remains recovered till now, police said on Friday.
In a statement, police also said in view of the the "deceptive nature" of responses provided by the accused, an application for conducting his narco analysis test was made and it has been approved by the court.
Police have been directed by a Delhi court to complete the narco analysis test of Aaftab Amin Poonawala within five days.
Poonawala (28) allegedly strangled Shraddha Walkar and sawed her body into 35 pieces which he kept in a 300-litre fridge for weeks at his residence in Mehrauli before dumping them across the city over several days.
"To ascertain that the bones belong to the victim, the blood samples of the father and brother of 'A' (Walkar) have been collected for DNA analysis. To find out if any incriminating evidence resides in digital devices seized from the place of offence, the same has also been sent for forensic retrieval of data," the statement said.
The probe into the case of the woman, who belongs to Mumbai, is being undertaken in the "best possible professional manner", it said. The Delhi Police was seized of the matter when, on November 9, a team of the Mumbai Police came to the Mehrauli police station and handed over documents related to the woman, the statement said.
It said that according to the inquiry then conducted by the Mumbai Police, the woman was staying with Poonawala at Chhatarpur Pahadi.
The woman's father informed that she was staying with Poonawala, a resident of West Mumbai, they were in a live-in relationship for the last three years and there was a history of repeated violence by Poonawala, it said.
On this basis, a case under Indian Penal Code section 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) was registered on November 10 at Mehrauli police station and investigation was taken up, the statement said giving details that led to the registering of the case.
During investigation, Poonawala was apprehended and interrogated. Initially, he tried to mislead interrogators by claiming that the woman had severed her relationship with him and had left their rented accommodation, it said.
Police said that during sustained interrogation and cross questioning, he confessed that he had killed Walkar.
Since May, he was living with the woman in Delhi and on May 18, had strangulated her to death. Thereafter, he cut her body into pieces and gradually, over a period of time, had disposed of the pieces, according to the statement. He was arrested on November 12
The place of offence -- the rented accommodation in Chattarpur -- has been closely inspected by the crime team and experts from Forensic Science Laboratory, Rohini, the statement said.
From the place, multiple exhibits have been seized. Following up on the disclosures, various combing operations have been carried so far out at various places, including some forest areas, from where bones have been seized, it said.
"In view of the deceptive nature of responses being provided by the accused, an application for conducting his narco analysis test was made and, after due consideration, it has been approved by the court. The same is to be conducted in due course," it stated.
Statements made by accused are being assessed upon "the crucible of admissible evidentiary value". Multiple teams are camping outstation to recreate the lives of the accused and the victim together, it said.
Similarly, multiple teams are carrying out search operations to recover the missing skeletal parts. Several inter-disciplinary teams are working round the clock for documenting, finding discrepancies and further refining the versions and the motives being put forth by the accused, the statement said.
Poonawala and Walkar met each other through an online dating app. Later, they started working for the same call centre in Mumbai and fell in love.
But their families objected to the relationship as they belong to different faiths, prompting the couple to move to Mehrauli earlier this year. Around mid-May, the couple had an argument over marriage, which escalated and Poonawala killed her.
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Kerala polls: ‘People rejected 10 years of misrule’, says AICC gen secy
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal on Monday said the Congress-led UDF’s sweeping victory in the Kerala Assembly polls was a clear verdict against the “arrogance”, corruption, and nepotism of the CPI(M)-led LDF government headed by CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Addressing a press conference as counting of votes for all 140 Assembly constituencies neared completion, Venugopal said the outcome reflected public anger against what he termed “10 years of misrule” by the Left government.
He claimed that Vijayan’s victory in his home constituency, Dharmadam, was “only technical”, alleging that the CM trailed the UDF candidate in the initial rounds of counting and failed to secure a majority in his own village.
“He just escaped. He suffered a setback even in his home turf. He was the only person who did not realise the people’s mood in this election,” Venugopal said.
Alleging that the CPI(M) and the LDF had resorted to “communal and opportunistic politics”, he further claimed that the ruling front had entered into a “secret understanding” with the BJP in a bid to retain power for a third consecutive term.
He said that when a government driven by power and arrogance attempts to align with anyone to stay in office, even its own cadre turns against it.
Referring to the results, Venugopal said that while the UDF expected rebel CPI(M) leaders, including K Kunhikrishnan in Payyannur, to impact the vote share, their victories came as a surprise.
Describing the UDF’s performance as a “historic victory”, he attributed it to coordinated teamwork, grassroots mobilisation, and the dedication of party workers, adding that the alliance accepted the mandate “with humility”.
Venugopal also credited Rahul Gandhi’s campaign guarantees, calling them a “trump card” that helped voters focus on real issues and reject what he described as the LDF’s “false narratives”.
He claimed that the Congress witnessed one of its lowest levels of rebellion in this election, which contributed to the alliance’s strong performance.
The senior Congress leader further alleged that the BJP managed to win two seats with the help of the CPI(M), and asserted that forces attempting to divide society on communal lines should “learn a lesson” from Kerala’s verdict.
“This is the real Kerala story,” he said.
On the question of the next Chief Minister, Venugopal said the party leadership would decide at the earliest after due consultations.
The counting of votes began on Monday morning for all 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala, where the Congress-led UDF secured a decisive majority, defeating the CPI(M)-led LDF, which was seeking an unprecedented third consecutive term in office.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) posts, "Thank you to my brothers and sisters in Keralam for a truly decisive mandate. Congratulations to every UDF leader and worker for a hard-fought, well-run campaign. As I said before, Keralam has the talent, Keralam has the potential… pic.twitter.com/6T4IZbEmp4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 4, 2026
