The device’s last location was the water body under the railway bridge; search halted on Thursday after 5 hours due to darkness, to continue today
Delhi cops during the search for Poonawala’s phone, in the Mira Bhayandar creek on Thursday. Pics/Hanif Patel
The Delhi police probing the Shraddha Walkar murder began a search operation in Mira Bhayandar creek on Thursday to look for a mobile phone of accused Aftab Poonawala. Police sources said the phone’s last location was the creek under the railway bridge as the alleged killer flung the device into the water to destroy evidence, earlier this month before his arrest.
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The police have found that Poonawala was using two mobile phones. He was perhaps alerted after the Manikpur police in Vasai questioned him on October 23 and November 3 during their investigation into Walkar’s disappearance. A Delhi police source said Poonawala broke his SIM card and threw the phone into the Bhayandar creek, after he was questioned the second time.
“In the mobile, Aftab had crucial evidence that he wanted to destroy. Aftab chatted and spoke to Shraddha using this mobile. The reason behind destroying the mobile phone is still unclear. We suspect Aftab wanted to mislead us about his mobile tower location and due to this reason, he destroyed his phone,” said the source. The search began at 2 pm and ended at 7 pm after sunset. It will continue on Friday.
Also Read: Clue that led to Aftab Poonawala’s arrest: Web search history
Police sources said that the creek is almost 50-60 feet deep and the chances of recovering the phone from the same spot are quite slim as the current might have pushed it elsewhere. They have also started looking for the handset near Naigaon jetty, Gaimukh jetty, Godhbunder creek and Versova beach. The police are also not ruling out the possibility of Poonawala throwing the weapon that he used to chop Walkar’s body into the creek.
Aftab Poonawala
The Manikpur police registered a missing complaint on October 12 after Walkar’s friend approached them saying she had disappeared. During the first round of questioning, Poonwala told them that Walkar was not living with him since May 18. He said she left his Delhi flat and their relationship had ended. His version changed during the second round of questioning, Meanwhile, the police also found that Walkar and Poonwala’s mobile tower location was the same for many days. This prompted the cops to keep a watch on his activities in Delhi for 5 days before arresting him.
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