WOMEN’S WING OF UDDHAV’S GROUP DEMANDS BAN ON DATING APPS

MUMBAI: The women’s wing of the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena held a protest in Maharashtra’s Vasai on Wednesday, calling for a ban on dating apps in light of the murder of Shraddha Walkar allegedly by her live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala in New Delhi.

Walkar, 27, and Poonawala, 28, lived together in a flat in Vasai since 2019, before moving to Delhi in the second week of May this year.

On May 18, Poonawala allegedly murdered Walkar, dismembered her body, and dumped the body parts in forested areas of the Capital.

The protest in Vasai on Wednesday condemned the murder and called for justice for Walkar.

“It is our request, demand and order to shut down these dating apps,” said former Vasai-virar corporator Kiran Chendwankar, who led the protest.

A Bumble spokesperson shared, “Everyone at Bumble is devastated to hear about this unspeakable crime, and our hearts are with Shraddha Walkar’s family and loved ones. We will continue to follow closely and remain available to law enforcement should they request our support. The safety and wellbeing of our members is our top priority and we have a dedicated global team serving their needs.”

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), held a separate protest in nearby Virar, demanding that the case be fast-tracked, and calling for the death penalty against Poonawala.

“The case should be fasttracked and Poonawala should be hanged till death for committing this murder,” said a protester.