Delhi police claimed to have solved a six-month-old murder case, and arrested a man for allegedly killing his 28-year-old live-in partner Shraddha Vikas Walkar, chopping her body into 35 pieces, and disposing of the body parts at different places in and around the national capital.
As per reports, the couple are from Mumbai, Aaftab Ameen Poonawalla is from Vasai area and is a food blogger and runs social media pages along with his brother Ahad Poonawala.
Aftab was a food blogger in Mumbai
Officials said that the accused identified as Aaftab, and the deceased, Shraddha (28) met while working at a call centre in Mumbai. He ran a food blog account 'Hungry Chokro' on Instagram. He put up food videos and photography on that account.
They fell in love while working in Mumbai, and when their families refused to accept their relationship, the couple shifted to Delhi and started living at a rented apartment in the Chhatarpur area, Mehrauli police told ANI.
The accused killed her when she started forcing him for marriage, officials said.
Mumbai police contacted Delhi Police after her father filed a missing persons complaint.
Aaftab stangled Shradha on May 22
On May 22, the couple had a fight, and the accused strangled her in a fit of rage. He then chopped her body into 35 pieces, bought a refrigerator, and kept them in it, they said.
Officials said that the accused later started disposing of the body pieces at different locations in and around Delhi during night hours for the next 18 days.
Family grew suspicious after no contact was established for weeks
The matter came to light when the victim stopped talking to her parents. Her family also checked her social media accounts and found no updates during this period.
This raised suspicion, after which her father, Vikas - a resident of Palghar (Maharashtra), came to Delhi to check on his daughter. When he reached her flat, it was locked.
Police lodge missing complaint
Following this, he approached the police and lodged a missing person complaint. He also told the police about his daughter's relationship with the accused, Aaftab, and suspected his involvement in his daughter's absence.
On the basis of his complaint, the police launched an investigation, traced Aftab, and arrested him.
Confession during investigation
During questioning, he confessed to the crime and said that they often fought as Shraddha was pressurizing him for marriage.
He strangled her and then chopped her body into 35 pieces, bought a refrigerator, and kept them in it, they said.
He threw the body parts to animals in the bushes of Chhattarpur, hoping they would eat it. He did this on a daily basis.
A case has been registered against the accused under relevant sections of IPC including murder, and the police were further looking into it.
