Shraddha Walkar murder: Saket court frames murder charge against Aaftab Poonawalla who pleads 'not guilty'

A Delhi court on Tuesday framed charges of murder and causing disappearance of evidence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Aaftab Poonawalla, who is accused of brutally killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar..After hearing arguments on framing charges, Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana observed that a prima facie case of murder was made out against Poonawalla. "Arguments on charge has been heard at length. Sufficient material produced by prosecution. Prime facie case of Section 302 (murder) is made out and charges will be framed," the Court said.Charges were also framed for offence under Section 201 IPC for causing disappearance of evidence."Secondly, knowing that an offence has been committed and to screen yourself from punishment you cut the body and threw the body parts at various places...you committed offence under 201 IPC," the Court said.The Court then read out the charges to Poonawalla who pleaded not guilty to the crimes."Do you plea guilty or claim trial," the Court asked."I plea not guilty and claim trial," Poonawalla's counsel replied..Poonawalla and Walkar had entered into a live-in relationship after meeting on mobile dating app, Bumble. They were initially based out of Mumbai before shifting to Delhi last year. According to police investigating the crime, on May 18 last year, after a quarrel between the couple in a rented flat in Mehrauli, the accused strangulated the victim, chopped her body into 35 pieces, stored it in a fridge and later dumped the pieces in different parts of the city over the next 18 days.Poonawalla was first sent to police custody on suspicion post murder incident and later was remanded to judicial custody..The Delhi High Court had, in November last year, dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking the transfer of the investigation in the case from the Delhi Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).