Shraddha Walkar murder: Police widen search, focus on skulls found across Delhi

On Thursday, officers said they will be looking into unidentified body parts, mainly skulls, to “widen” their search. “There is a huge possibility that Aaftab is lying and we can’t rely on his statements. We think he could have discarded a few of the body parts elsewhere. Hence, we have asked other police stations for help,” said an officer.

To confirm Shraddha’s identity, police said DNA testing and skull imposition tests will be conducted on such body parts.
In East Delhi’s Pandav Nagar, a severed decomposing head and hand was recovered by police three-five months ago. The body was unidentified and nobody had filed a missing person report matching the profile of the deceased in the case.

An officer in the East district told The Indian Express, “The Mehrauli staff approached us and asked us to share details since we have an unidentified skull that was found in a bag near the ground. It was believed it belonged to a woman. We will help them.”

So far, police have not been able to find any witnesses or persons who saw the couple around the date of the murder. One suspect who met the couple in Himachal and helped them find the one-room set in Chhattarpur Pahadi is also said to be “missing”. Police said they want to question him about the couple and what he saw on May 15 when they shifted to the house. He also lives in the same area, but his house was locked, added police.

Meanwhile, an MCD garbage dumping van that comes to the Chhattarpur Pahadi area has also been seized. Police believe the van was allegedly used by Poonawaala to dispose of blood-stained clothes and other evidence/objects in connection with the murder.

With Aaftab’s custody extended by five days by a Delhi court, police said they will be taking him to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where the couple went before shifting to Delhi, to “recreate” certain scenes and find out if he tried to hide evidence there after the murder.

Police will also contact dating app Bumble, on which the couple had met, and other social media applications to ascertain the people who met Aaftab after Shraddha’s murder and visited the house.

When asked about the case, a Bumble spokesperson stated, “Everyone at Bumble is devastated to hear about this unspeakable crime, and our hearts are with Shraddha Walker’s family and loved ones. We will continue to follow closely and remain available to law enforcement should they request our support. The safety and well-being of our members is our top priority and we have a dedicated global team serving their needs.”