Shraddha Walkar case: Court summons Tihar jail superintendent over threats to accused Aaftab

A local court has summoned the Tihar Jail superintendent to explain the action taken to ensure the safety of Aaftab Amin Poonawala, accused in the Shraddha Walkar murder case, after he claimed he is receiving threats from fellow inmates even after an earlier direction to protect him.

Additional Sessions Judge Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi issued the summons, seeking a report on compliance with its November 2 order directing jail authorities to take immediate measures to ensure Poonawala’s safety.

The court, in an order dated November 4, directed the jail superintendent to appear with a compliance report on November 6. Poonawala will also be produced before the court through video conferencing on that date.

During the hearing, Poonawala’s counsel Akshay Bhandari told the court that the undertrial is still receiving threats from inmates and no action has been taken despite court’s directions.

On November 2, the court had directed jail authorities to take immediate steps to ensure Poonawala’s safety after he claimed that fellow inmates had repeatedly threatened to slash his face with improvised weapons and cause him bodily harm.

The accused had told the court that some inmates had been threatening him for around 10 days. He had also expressed concerns over his safety inside Jail No. 4A of Tihar Jail, which houses a special cell and also functions as a punishment ward.

The court had said, if required, Poonawala could be kept in a separate ward or cell away from notorious inmates. It had also directed the jail superintendent to submit an action-taken report.

The judge had observed that the safety of an undertrial prisoner was top priority and it was state’s duty to ensure their security as part of the right to a fair trial.

The latest order was passed during the recording of prosecution evidence in the 2022 murder case. The court also directed the prosecution and defence to prepare for the examination of at least two witnesses from November 17.

Poonawala is accused of strangling dead his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar, chopping her body into pieces, storing them in a refrigerator and disposing them at different locations in Delhi.

He was arrested on November 12, 2022, in connection with the murder, which allegedly took place at a rented flat in Mehrauli.