Uttar Pradesh: Man who justified Shraddha Walkar's murder arrested
A man who justified Shraddha Walkar's murder by her live-in partner Aftab Poonawalla in May was arrested on Friday by the Uttar Pradesh Police. The individual has been identified as Vikas Kumar, hailing from the Bulandshahr district's Sikandrabad, who pretended to be a Muslim man named Rashid Khan while speaking to a reporter in Delhi on Walkar's murder case.
Why does this story matter?
On November 12, the Delhi Police arrested Poonawalla for allegedly murdering Walkar on May 18, chopping her dead body into 35 pieces, storing the parts in a refrigerator, and then disposing of them across Delhi for over a month. The couple met years ago in Mumbai via a dating app and moved to Delhi in 2022 after Walkar's family reportedly disapproved of their relationship.
Kumar justified Walkar's murder by Poonawalla
While justifying Poonawalla killing his live-in girlfriend, Kumar earlier said that such things happen in anger, and not only 35, but Walkar's body could have been chopped into 36 pieces as well. When questioned if he would do the same, Kumar told the reporter that it was not a big deal and that people do such things in rage.
'I fear I will be killed': Kumar
Bulandshahr Senior Superintendent of Police, Shlok Kumar, stated, "Vikas has a criminal record, with cases registered against him in Bulandshahr and Noida relating to theft and carrying illegal arms," as per NDTV. After getting arrested, Kumar said he didn't know his statement would blow up, otherwise, he wouldn't have said so. "I fear I will be killed, either here or in prison," he claimed.
How Walkar was murdered
On May 18, Walkar and Poonawalla allegedly got into a fight at their Delhi's Chhattarpur Pahari flat after she demanded to bring a few household items from her hometown Vasai in Maharashtra. Attempting to restrain Walkar, the accused allegedly strangled her to death when she started shouting, per reports. After murdering her, Poonawalla also transferred Rs. 54,000 to his bank online from her account.
Walkar's complaint from 2020
Meanwhile, recent reports said that on November 23, 2020, Walkar filed a complaint at the Tulinj Police Station in Vasai after Poonawalla allegedly beat her up at their flat. She alleged that the family of Poonawalla knew about his violent behavior. However, the cops said that Walkar submitted another statement later, which said, "We no longer have any quarrel," and requested no further action.
Murder weapons found by Delhi Police
According to the Delhi Police, five knives reportedly used by Poonawalla to chop Walkar's body have been found. As per NDTV, the cops also stated that the saw used by the accused is still missing. Furthermore, the police said the knives were 5-6 inches long each and added that they were sent for forensic testing.
