Shraddha Walkar murder case: HC refuses to set time frame for completion of trial

The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to set a timeline for the conclusion of the trial in the Shraddha Walkar murder case, observing that the proceedings against accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala were already being conducted on a day-to-day basis.

A single-judge Bench of Justice Madhu Jain was hearing a petition filed by Shraddha’s brother Shreejay Vijay Walkar, who contended that the criminal trial in the case had been pending for an inordinately long period without any justifiable reason.

The petition sought a direction to the sessions court to conclude the trial within a time frame fixed by the High Court. It also sought a direction to the trial court “not to grant unnecessary adjournments to either party except under exceptional and unavoidable circumstances recorded in writing”.

“It is clear that the trial court is making every endeavour to conclude the trial as soon as possible. No further directions are required as the trial is being conducted on a day-to-day basis,” Justice Jain remarked during the hearing.

Shraddha, who was in a live-in relationship with the accused, was allegedly strangled to death by Mr. Poonawala on May 18, 2022.

According to the 6,629-page chargesheet filed by Delhi Police, Mr. Poonawala allegedly dismembered the body of the 27-year-old call centre employee, stored the body parts in a refrigerator and disposed of them at desolate locations over several days to avoid detection. The remains were discovered later.

Counsel for the petitioner contended that the case was progressing at a tardy pace and that, at this rate, the trial was unlikely to conclude in the coming years.

Senior advocate Amit Prasad, appearing for Delhi Police, informed the court that the trial court was already taking up the case on a day-to-day basis, except on Saturdays and Sundays. He said out of more than 200 witnesses, the testimonies of 157 had already been completed.