Shraddha told cops in 2020 letter: Aftab threatens to kill me, cut me up into pieces

It has been nearly 10 days since Aftab Amin Poonawalla was arrested by Delhi Police for killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar, dismembering her body into several pieces and scattering them across Delhi. However, the murder story remains without a body, a weapon, witnesses, or any other evidence other than Aftab's confession (which cannot be used as evidence in a court of law).

The clock is ticking for Delhi Police to find evidence to link Aftab to Shraddha's murder.

Updates: 

• Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis says they will look into why Shraddha's case was not investigated when she made a complaint in 2020. 

It will be investigated. Maybe she could have been saved had action been taken: Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis (2/2) pic.twitter.com/ijPY2jZ82v

— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2022

• Shraddha had filed a police complaint at Tulinj police station in Mumbai on November 23, 2020, stating that Aftab threatened to kill her and dismember her body. 

• Shraddha's chats dated May 18 at 4.34 pm (when Aftab claims to have killer her), accessed by India Today, show she texted a friend saying, "Dude, I have got news."
• A second message reads: "Got super busy with something." This is the last message Shraddha sent, after that repeated attempts by the friend to contact her via texts and phone calls went unanswered.  
• Shraddha's former reporting manager at work, Karan Brar, has been called to Delhi for investigation. Brar had earlier revealed the Whatsapp chats with Shraddha where she had sought his help after Aftab had beaten her up in 2020.   

So, what's the police doing now? Having failed to get any physical evidence against Aftab on the murder, Delhi Police has turned to Aftab himself to get answers - through a polygraph and narco-analysis test (critics call it lazy police work).

• The polygraph test process on Aftab reportedly began on Tuesday, November 22. The test may go on for a few days.

Shraddha Murder Case | Accused Aftab's Polygraph Test started at Rohini FSL: Delhi police sources

— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2022

• Following the polygraph test, police are to conduct a narco-analysis test on Aftab at Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital in Rohini, Delhi.  
• Reportedly, the police have sent bathroom tiles from Aftab's Chhatarpur apartment in Delhi for DNA testing. The tiles were found with traces of blood and testing will tell whether it belongs to Shraddha. 

Traces of blood found in Aftab's bathroom: Sources.
India Today's @Sreya_Chattrjee with more details.#ITVideo pic.twitter.com/5IkiNe1CD8

— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) November 22, 2022

• Police are still awaiting the DNA results of several pieces of body parts recovered so far including a piece of jawbone, skull and an arm bone. 
• Police also reportedly found 'murder notes' from Aftab with details of the chopped body parts and where they were disposed. 

#WATCH | Shraddha murder case: Police along with accused Aftab leave from the FSL office in Delhi pic.twitter.com/pMXbCYPXBZ

— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2022

• In Mumbai, a team of Delhi Police recorded the statements of some 17 people so far to prove that Aftab used to physically and mentally abuse Shraddha before the murder. 
• Two witnesses reportedly claimed that Aftab's parents would often intervene after he would assault Shraddha and convince her against leaving him.

India Today tracks down Aftab's friend | #ITLivestream https://t.co/PbODgrUeJ7

— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) November 22, 2022

• The whereabouts of Aftab's parents remain unknown, but Aftab's lawyer says he'll be in touch with them soon.
• Aftab has also reportedly got the permission from court to meet his family. 
• Delhi Police suspects that Aftab may have tried to destroy Shraddha's belongings to show that she left him taking along all her belongings.

What Aftab's lawyer has to say: Aftab's lawyer Abinash Kumar has said that contrary to reports, the accused has not confessed to murdering Shraddha in Saket court yesterday (November 22).

• A court admission can be considered evidence.
• It was reported that Aftab told Saket court in Delhi that whatever happened, happened in the 'heat of a moment'. 
• Aftab has reportedly found it difficult to identify the places where he disposed off the body parts as he's unfamiliar with the city. 

Aftab said he can't recall everything at once but will inform as he does. He used a single word for victim & said he was provoked. Police will probably take him for site visit for evidence collection. Narco test soon: Adv A Kumar, Aftab's legal aid counsel on Shraddha murder case pic.twitter.com/63TCr3ePj0

— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2022

So far, Delhi Police is treating Shraddha Walkar as a missing person case. They are also trying to check all of Shraddha's contacts to see if she was in touch with any of them post-May 18, the date Aftab claims to have strangled her to death. 

On the other hand, the Delhi High Court dismissed with costs a PIL that sought to transfer the case from Delhi Police to the CBI, calling it "publicity interest litigation".