Mehrauli murder case: Aftab used nail, hammer to break Walkar’s joints

The flat in Chhattarpur Hills where Aftab Poonawala killed Shraddha Walkar (right) a hacksaw blade, hammer, nails similar to the ones Poonawala bought in May after the murder. Pics/Faizan Khan

Aftab Poonawala used a hacksaw blade to sever Shraddha Walkar's head and a hammer and nails to break her joints. This is one of the horrifying facts that came to light as part of the probe into Walkar's brutal murder. On Sunday, Delhi police took Poonawala to the rented house in Chhattarpur, where he killed Walkar. The cops then got him to narrate the sequence of events.

Poonawala is likely to undergo narco analysis on Monday, said sources adding that he was taken to the location of the crime before that. According to sources, since the crime happened a few months ago, the cops want Poonawala to remember the entire sequence which will help them during the narco test. All senior officers associated with the case, forensic team of the police as well as CBI officers were present at the location. Sources said that the Central government may transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Hardware store visit

Delhi police had earlier on November 12 taken Poonawala to Bansal Steel and Hardware, just a few metres from his rented flat in Chhattarpur Hills where he lived with Walkar. When mid-day visited the store, the owner said he did not recognise Poonawala as he was not a regular customer.

Also read: Shraddha Walkar murder case: Did Manikpur police delay action against Aftab?

A police team conducts a search for mortal remains in Mehrauli forest

"He was brought to my store after he told the cops that he had bought a hacksaw blade and frame from my shop in May. I did not recognise him as he was not a regular customer. When he was at my shop with the cops he told them that he had also bought a hammer and nails from here," Rajan Bansal, owner of Bansal Hardware, told mid-day.

An officer privy to the investigation said, "The muscles seem to have been chopped using a hacksaw blade, and the hammer was likely used to break bones. He made multiple small pieces of the body, which were later dispersed in the Chhattarpur forest, which is just two kilometres from the crime scene."

Delhi police, however, have not recovered any murder weapons so far as the accused misled them about the location where he disposed of them. Cops on Saturday also searched multiple locations, including Chhattarpur forest and the area near his workplace in Gurugram, but to no avail.

Bansal Steel and Hardware in Chhattarpur Hills

Local pharmacy

In a bid to ascertain some facts, Poonawala was also taken to a pharmacy that he and Walkar frequently visited. "I recognised him when he was brought here. He mostly used to come here with the woman, who is now dead," said the owner of Yadav Pharmacy.

The owner also told police that Poonawala had visited the store several times in the past two months too, but came alone. "When he was brought here by the police, he said he had bought condoms and some medicines and chips from us," said the pharmacy owner. This revelation has given some clues to cops that he may have been dating other women. The cops are working to identify these women to ascertain if he had met anyone after Shraddha's murder.

Damaged skull found

During Delhi police's search in the Mehrauli and Chhattarpur forests over the past few days, the teams have found more human remains, including pieces of skull and jaw bones on Saturday. These have been sent to the forensic lab to extract DNA. As the skull bones were fully damaged, officers believe that Aftab may have used the hammer to damage the skull and make small pieces of it.

Rajan Bansal, owner of the hardware store. Pics/Faizan Khan

According to sources, the entire south Delhi district police, which has 15 police stations, a crime branch, and a team of special cells, is working on it. "Around 10-12 staff from each and every police station in south Delhi have been deployed to the forest and other states, which include Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Maharashtra," an officer from Mehrauli police station said.

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Day in Nov when Poonawala was taken to the hardware store