Aaftab Amin Poonawala, accused of brutally killing his partner in Delhi, had visited the housing society in Vasai in Palghar district a fortnight ago to help his family members shift to Mumbai, a society member said on Tuesday. However, their whereabouts are not known to anyone.
“Accused Poonawala’s family members left their Vasai-based flat around 15 days back and we don’t have any knowledge about them. How can we call them for interrogation as nothing has happen in our jurisdiction,” an official from Manikpur police station told PTI.
Aaftab, 28, was arrested on Saturday by Delhi Police for allegedly strangling his partner Shraddha Walkar. He sawed her body into 35 pieces which he kept in a 300-liter fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in South Delhi’s Mehrauli before dumping them across the city over several days, police said on Monday.
“Aaftab Poonawala had visited Unique Park Housing Society in Vasai around 15 days back to help his family members who shifted from the society to Mumbai,” the housing society member said.
The society member recalled that Aaftab spoke normally during his visit. “No one can even think that he had committed such a heinous crime,” he said. He said the Poonawalas own a flat in the society and lived there for 20 years before shifting. Nobody ever complained against them.
“When we asked them the reason behind shifting, Aaftab’s father told us that his son got a job in Mumbai and his company will pay rent. They also spoke about inconvenience (about shuttling between Mumbai and Vasai, which is in Palghar district and part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region),” he said.
The housing society’s secretary Abdullah Khan, who lives on the third floor of the wing where the Poonawalas have a flat, said Aaftab and his family members behaved nicely to other residents.
Delhi murder case: Aaftab looked confident, remorseless during questioning, say Maharashtra cops
“Around 15 days back they vacated the flat and rented it out. They shifted somewhere near Mumbai. Aaftab told me that he was staying in Delhi. I didn’t notice any change in his behaviour. We are shocked to know about the crime,” he added.
