After both police stations were blamed for lapses and causing delay in investigations, DCP-level probe initiated to verify claims
(Left) Sampat Patil, senior inspector of Manikpur police station, along with API Sachin Sanap, who handled Walkar’s case. Pic/Hanif Patel
A DCP-level departmental inquiry has been initiated to investigate whether the Tulinj and Manikpur police stations made serious lapses—as alleged by the deceased’s father—in the Shraddha Walkar murder case.
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A source at the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police headquarters said that if the officers and their supervisory heads are found to have committed any lapse, “they’ll be adequately punished”. Confirming the development, the DCP (HQ) Prashant Gaikwad, MBVV police, said, “DCP Suhas Bawche has been asked to conduct the departmental inquiry.”
Walkar was allegedly strangled to death by her live-in partner Aftab Poonawala inside a rented flat in South Delhi’s Mehrauli area in May. Poonawala, 28, is said to have disposed of the body parts by scattering them into a nearby jungle and pond.
During the investigation it came to light that Walkar had first approached the Tulinj police station with her swollen face and multiple lacerations all over her body after Poonawala had thrashed her, besides threatening to “kill, cut her into multiple pieces and throw her away”. She had also submitted a written complaint to the Tulinj police in November 2020 to file an FIR, but they didn’t act immediately. A day later, she withdrew her written complaint on the request of Poonawala’s parents.
Since the Tulinj police had already delayed taking action by a day and Walkar too withdrew her written complaint, the police initiated a procedure to wrap up the matter without taking any action against Poonawala. “The DCP will probe if Tulinj police committed any serious lapse in her [Shraddha’s] November 2020 complaint against him [Poonawala],” DCP Gaikwad told mid-day.
On December 9, Walkar’s father, Vikas, also blamed the Tulinj and Manikpur police for not acting swiftly. Vikas had approached the Manikpur police to register a missing complaint in mid-August, but the police allegedly turned him away. He again visited the Manikpur police station in September, but his plea was not heard.
He then approached the DCP’s office, after which zonal officer Sanjay Kumar Patil asked the divisional ACP to look into the matter. On October 6, the ACP office directed the Manikpur police to file a missing complaint as Shraddha had gone incommunicado. But again, the Manikpur police did not act swiftly and took another week to register a missing complaint on October 12.
API Sachin Sanap and his team called Poonawala on his cellphone, and that’s when he is suspected to have got alarmed and started disposing of the remaining pieces of evidence related to the murder. DCP Gaikwad said, “Everything will be verified and checked in the department inquiry.”
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