Mehrauli Murder: Investigators visit Aftab's rented house in Chhattarpur again

New Delhi, Nov 16

A Delhi Police team on Wednesday again visited the rented house, in south Delhi's Chhattarpur, of Aftab Ameen Poonawalla (28), who has been arrested for allegedly killing his live-in partner and chopping her body into 35 pieces for disposal.

According to a senior police official, the police team, along with forensic teams, inspected the house again.

"The investigators have also spoken to the landlady and the rent agreement was also seized by police," said the official.

The victim, Shraddha Walkar, had signed as witness in the rent agreement.

Police teams are looking for more evidence in the house. The weapon of offence, which has been missing since Aftab's arrest, is also being searched for, said sources.

Meanwhile, the investigators say Aftab is not co-operating with them.

"His statements are frequently changing. He first told the investigators that he had thrown away the mobile phone of the victim in Maharashtra but now he claims that he had dropped the phone somewhere in Delhi," a source said.

In what sounded like a Hitchcockian horror script, Aftab on May 18 had a fight with Shraddha, after she suspected him of cheating on her. He even beat her and after she fainted, he sat on her chest and then strangled her.

"This is not the first time she was beaten by Aftab. She had even told her parents and even her friends had rescued her from the clutches of Aftab but every time, she returned when he felt sorry," one of her friendss said.

After chopping the body on May 18, the accused bought a new refrigerator with a large storage capacity the next day and stored the remains in it. To counter the stench, he lit incense sticks at his home.

Aftab was reportedly inspired by the American crime show "Dexter", which tells the story of a man with homicidal tendencies who lives a double life.

Being a trained chef, the accused was adept at using a knife. However, the murder weapon is yet to be recovered.

He had thrown the body pieces at various locations over a period of 18 days.