Plea in HC to transfer Shraddha Walkar murder case from Delhi Police to CBI
New Delhi (PTI): A PIL was filed in the Delhi High Court on Monday seeking a direction to transfer the investigation into the Shraddha Walkar murder case from Delhi Police to the CBI, alleging that presence of media and public at places of recovery amounts to tampering of evidence.
The plea, which is likely to be listed for hearing on Wednesday, alleged that so far the Delhi Police has revealed each and every detail to the media and public regarding the investigation which is not permitted under the law.
It claimed that the alleged place of incident has not been sealed by the Delhi Police till date which is continuously being accessed by the public and media personnel.
Walkar was murdered by 28-year-old Aaftab Poonawala, who sawed her body into 35 pieces and dumped the body parts across the city over several days past midnight.
"The incident of murder is alleged to have been taken place in Delhi and thereafter the body parts have been alleged to have disposed at different places, thus investigation of Police Station Mehrauli cannot be efficiently be carried out due to administrative/ staff paucity as well as lack of sufficient technical and scientific equipment to find out the evidences and the witnesses as the incident had taken place about six months back in May, 2022," the petition filed by Joshini Tuli submitted.
The plea, filed through advocate Joginder Tuli, claimed that sensitive details of the investigation by the Delhi Police have so far been revealed to public persons through the media which has lead to tampering of sensitive evidence.
"The presence of media and other public persons at the place of recoveries, court hearings etc. of any accused amounts to interference with the evidence and witnesses in the present case," it alleged.
On November 17, a trial court had permitted the police to question the accused for five more days in its custody, while another judge had allowed his narco analysis test to unravel the sensational case after he consented to undergo the forensic procedure.
Earlier, the accused was sent to five days in police custody.
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Mamata asks TMC nominees not to leave counting centres as EC data shows BJP leading
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged TMC candidates and agents to remain vigilant and not to leave counting centres, alleging that there was a "game plan" by the BJP and the Election Commission to show the saffron party taking a lead in the early trends of counting.
In a video message issued during the counting of votes, the TMC supremo appealed to party workers to stay put and not to lose morale.
"I appeal to everyone that neither TMC candidates nor counting agents should abandon counting centres," she said.
As trends on the Election Commission website indicated the BJP leading in 188 seats against the TMC's 94, Banerjee maintained that her party was still ahead in a significant number of constituencies.
"We are still ahead in 170 seats, but I request everyone not to lose hope," she said, adding that there were "around 70 to 100 seats where we are leading, but they are not sharing the data of those seats".
"A false narrative is being spread," she alleged.
The chief minister accused the Election Commission of "not declaring results or leads" in areas where the TMC was ahead.
"This is a game plan by the EC and the BJP as it (poll panel) is not declaring results or leads in areas where we are leading," she said.
Banerjee also alleged irregularities in the counting process at some locations.
"In several places, counting has been stopped after the first two to three rounds. In Kalyani, we have caught seven machines with severe anomalies," she claimed.
She further alleged that TMC workers were being "harassed with the help of central forces" and that party offices were being "vandalised and forcefully captured".
"With the help of central forces, they are harassing and torturing AITC workers. Our offices have been vandalised," she said, also alleging that voter list revision exercises were "purposefully done to target seats where we were strong".
Seeking to reassure party workers, Banerjee said more rounds of counting were yet to take place and urged them to stay firm.
"Fourteen to eighteen rounds of counting will happen. You will surely emerge victorious. Don't be afraid; fight like tigers," she said.
Her remarks came as counting trends suggested that the BJP was leading in 188 seats and had crossed the halfway mark of 148 in the 294-member assembly, pointing to a potential shift in the state's political landscape.
Counting for 293 constituencies was underway with postal ballots, followed by EVM votes.
Officials cautioned that trends could change as more rounds are counted, and final results would be known later in the day.
জরুরি বার্তা pic.twitter.com/Uc82oihwEL
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 4, 2026
