New Delhi [India], July 12 : A friend of Shraddha Walkar on Sunday questioned the delay in the trial of the 2022 murder case and opposed any relief being granted to accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala, saying justice has been delayed for the victim's family.
Speaking to ANI, Rajat Shukla said Poonawala should not be shown any mercy and urged the judiciary to expedite the trial.
"We must remember that Aftab is the same person who cut her body into 35 pieces so brutally. He still hasn't been hanged. Four years have passed since this happened. It's a great pity that Saket Court or any other court should show him any mercy. If mercy is to be shown, then you should show some mercy to the few remaining members of Shraddha's family," Shukla said.
Shukla also claimed that Shraddha's last rites have not yet been performed as her mortal remains have not been returned.
"Shraddha hasn't been cremated yet. You haven't been updated because this case hasn't been properly raised after 2022. Her body hasn't been returned yet, which is why her last rites haven't been performed," he said.
Expressing concern over the pace of the judicial process, Shukla said the trial should have progressed much faster.
"There are hundreds, lakhs, and crores of cases pending in the court. Still, I don't know what kind of a soul tyhe judiciary has that it's still taking long vacations... If it has a priority case, they get the court open even at night. But in such a serious case like Shraddha's, four years have passed, and the trial hasn't even been conducted. In this ongoing case involving Aftab, they're showing him mercy so he doesn't face any mental pressure during his exams. Why aren't people paying attention to his mentality?... Does the judiciary have no responsibility left?" he added.
He further said that the prolonged delay in the case sends the wrong message.
"After 2022, four years later, people are noticing that Aftab isn't being tried for being allowed to take the exam. Why didn't people understand all these things in four years? After Aftab cut her into 35 pieces, many others cut people into many more pieces. Someone boiled someone in a cooker, someone burned and put someone in a drum," he said.
Calling the situation "shameful", Shukla urged the authorities to prioritise the case and ensure that justice is delivered at the earliest.
"They can do this because they have the courage, knowing that even after committing the most dangerous atrocity, they will be sitting comfortably in some jail. They will be given books. Many big human rights activists will come to sympathise with them. Nothing will happen to them. They will just have a little change in their life. The fresh air that they used to get 24 hours a day will be reduced to eight hours, and if even eight hours seem less, then for that also human rights activists will come and say, 'Give Aftab some more fresh air.' It is such a shameful thing for everyone that those who have the authority to do something in this case are not doing anything. It is a very shameful thing," he said.
The remarks came after the Saket Court cancelled the July 20 hearing after Poonawala informed the court that he would be appearing for his MA (Sociology) examination at an IGNOU examination centre inside Tihar Jail on the same day. Poonawala is facing trial for allegedly murdering his live-in partner, Shraddha Walkar.
It is alleged that Shraddha Walkar was murdered by Poonawala in May 2022. The case came to light in November 2022 after her family was unable to contact her and approached the police. An FIR was subsequently registered at Mehrauli Police Station. Investigators have alleged that Poonawala dismembered her body and disposed of the remains in a forested area. Shraddha's father, Vikas Walkar, died in 2025.