Murder Trial – Delhi High Court Declines Timeline for Shraddha Walkar Case
Murder Trial –The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to fix a deadline for completing the trial in the Shraddha Walkar murder case involving accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala. The court observed that the trial court is already hearing the matter on a daily basis and is making consistent efforts to conclude the proceedings without unnecessary delay.
High Court Finds No Need for Additional Directions
While hearing a petition filed by Shraddha Walkar’s brother, Justice Madhu Jain stated that the trial court has been actively handling the case and is working toward an early conclusion. The High Court noted that since the matter is progressing on a day-to-day basis, there is no requirement for further judicial directions regarding a specific timeline for the completion of the trial.
The court’s observation came after examining the status of the ongoing proceedings and the progress made before the trial court.
Petition Raised Concern Over Delay
The petition was filed by Shreejay Vijay Walkar, the deceased’s brother, who sought intervention from the High Court over what he described as an unreasonable delay in the criminal trial. According to the plea, the case has remained pending for an extended period without sufficient justification.
Counsel representing the petitioner argued that the pace of the proceedings was too slow and expressed concern that, if the current rate continued, the trial might take several more years before reaching its conclusion. The plea requested the High Court to issue appropriate directions to ensure the matter is decided within a fixed timeframe.
Background of the Murder Case
Shraddha Walkar, 27, was living in a live-in relationship with Aaftab Amin Poonawala at the time of the alleged crime. Investigators have alleged that she was strangled on May 18, 2022.
The case drew widespread public attention after investigators revealed details of the alleged crime during the investigation. The prosecution has maintained that the accused attempted to conceal evidence after the incident, leading to an extensive police investigation.
Chargesheet Details Presented by Police
According to the Delhi Police chargesheet, which runs to 6,629 pages, investigators alleged that Poonawala dismembered Shraddha Walkar’s body following the murder. The prosecution claims that the body parts were stored in a refrigerator before being disposed of at different isolated locations over several days in an alleged attempt to avoid detection.
Police later recovered body parts during the investigation, forming a significant part of the evidence presented in the case. The extensive chargesheet includes forensic findings, witness statements, and other material collected during the course of the investigation.
Trial Continues Before the Court
With the High Court declining to interfere in the scheduling of the proceedings, the trial will continue before the designated court under its existing day-to-day hearing schedule. The High Court made it clear that the trial court is already making every possible effort to conclude the matter at the earliest and that no additional supervisory directions are warranted at this stage.
The case remains one of the country’s most closely watched criminal trials, and further proceedings will continue in accordance with the schedule set by the trial court.