Hindustan Times (Ranchi)

DELHI MURDER: AAFTAB ‘CONFESSES’ IN POLYGRAPH TEST

- HT Correspond­ent

Aaftab Poonawala, accused in the Shraddha Walkar murder case, confessed during the polygraph test on Tuesday that he killed his girlfriend earlier this year, officials at the Forensic Science Laboratory said after a series of sessions with him over one week. Poonawala also allegedly confessed to disposing off her body. Both confession­s have reportedly been made before the police and court as well, officials said. Although narcoanaly­sis and polygraph tests are inadmissib­le in court, police hope to verify if Poonawala has been honest about his version of the murder.

Aaftab Poonawala, the accused in the Shraddha Walkar murder case, confessed during the polygraph test on Tuesday that he had killed his girlfriend earlier this year, officials at the Forensic Science Laboratory said after a series of sessions with him over one week.

Poonawala also allegedly confessed to disposing off her body. Both the confession­s have reportedly been made by Poonawala before the police and court as well, officials said.

“He has agreed to kill her and dispose off the body. However, the analysis of the test is yet to be shared with the police,” an official said.

The narco-analysis test that follows is not routinely admissible as evidence, but any material proof that it may lead to can be used in court.

Although the narco-analysis and polygraph tests are inadmissib­le in court, however, through these tests, police hope to verify if Poonawala has been honest about his version of the murder. The test results are cru

cial for investigat­ors as they attempt to sift through conflictin­g statements given by the suspect, police officials said.

Poonawala is accused of murdering his then girlfriend Shraddha Walkar, 27, in May this year, chopping up her body and dumping the body parts in forested areas in and around Delhi.

According to the police, the gruesome crime was unearthed last week after Poonawala ostensibly told the police that he allegedly murdered Walkar at their Chhattarpu­r flat six months ago, chopped her body into at least 35 pieces for over two days, stored them in a refrigerat­or for about three months, and dumped the body parts in south Delhi and Gurugram.

 ?? ?? Aaftab Poonawala
Aaftab Poonawala

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