The Delhi Police announced on Wednesday that samples of hair and bones they had found matched those of Shraddha Walker, which is a significant development in the case of her murder.
The Delhi Police reported that the mitochondrial DNA results of the samples collected in the Mehrauli woodland region and sent to the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting Diagnostic (CDFD) in Hyderabad matched with those of the victim’s father and brother.
The bone and hair samples were sent to Hyderabad for “DNA Mitrocondrial profiling” since the DNA couldn’t be isolated from the body parts.
“Mitochondrial DNA report confirms hair and bone sample matching with Shraddha Walker. Delhi Police has received the report from the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics,” said Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Sagar Preet Hooda.
“One piece of bone and a bunch of hair purported to be of the deceased have matched with that of her father and brother which establishes the identity of the bone and hair to be that of Shraddha Walker,” Special CP added.
He added that the bones would now be submitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for a post-mortem examination to be carried out by a medical board.
Shraddha was allegedly killed by her live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala.
Aftab allegedly cut her body into 35 pieces, placed them in a refrigerator, and then dumped them throughout Delhi and the surrounding area over the course of the next 18 nights.
Aaftab, who admitted to killing Shraddha and dismembering her body, was accused by police of providing false information in response to enquiries.
Notably, the murder case is still being looked at by Delhi Police.
In November, Shraddha’s father Vikash Madan Walkar, a resident of Palghar (Maharashtra), approached Mumbai police and lodged a missing person complaint.
Shraddha’s last known location was found in Delhi during the first investigation, and the case was handed over to Delhi Police as a result.
Shraddha’s father accused Aftab of being involved in his daughter’s disappearance and informed the police about his daughter’s contact with Aftab.
Aaftab and Shraddha had arrived in Delhi and had begun residing in a rented apartment in the Chhattarpur Pahadi area, it was found during the investigation. Aftab was captured by the police after they tracked him down during the investigation.
Aftab admitted to the crime when being questioned and claimed that they frequently quarrelled because Shraddha was urging him to be married.
Aaftab has filed a request for bail on the justification that the case’s preliminary investigation is now complete.
The initial investigation into the case is over and a charge sheet will be submitted, according to the legal aid attorney who handled the bail application.
Aaftab Poonawala is in judicial custody till December 23.
The polygraph and narcotics analysis tests for Aaftab have also been completed.
The Delhi Police will soon submit a charge sheet in this case.