Shraddha murder case: Aaftab Amin Poonawalla undergoing second session of lie detector test in Delhi

The polygraph test on Shraddha Walkar murder case accused Aaftab Amin Poonawalla could not be conducted on Wednesday since he was down with fever and cold, police said.

New Delhi: The second session of the polygraph test on the Mehrauli murder case accused Aaftab Amin Poonawalla began on Thursday at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Delhi's Rohini, news agency PTI reported. The polygraph test could not be conducted on Wednesday since he was down with fever and cold, police said. On Tuesday, Poonawala had undergone the first session of the polygraph test, also known as the lie detector test. The delay in completion of the polygraph test also means that the narco test on Poonawala, will not be conducted today. A senior official at Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) said, "He has been brought by the police here and the process of polygraph test has started." Amid the Delhi police's investigation into the gruesome murder case of Shraddha Walkar, Maharashtra police on Wednesday shared a 2020 complaint by Walkar alleging that Poonawala tried to kill her and she feared he would cut her into pieces and throw her away.

In the complaint letter dated November 23, 2020, Walkar had also alleged that Poonawala used to beat her up and his parents were aware of it. "We initiated an investigation but the case was closed after she gave a written statement to withdraw the case", the police said.

DCP of Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) Commissionerate, Suhas Bavache said that Shraddha in her written statement had stated that "the dispute between herself and Aaftab Poonawala was resolved." "Whatever necessary action had to be taken in that matter was done by police at that time. The application that was given by the complainant was also investigated. After the investigation, the complainant herself gave a written statement that there is no dispute. Her friend`s parents also cajoled her to resolve the dispute. She gave the written statement and after that the case was closed," said Bawche. 

Poonawala allegedly strangled his live-in partner Walkar (27) and sawed her body into 35 pieces which he kept in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in South Delhi's Mehrauli before dumping them across the city over several days past midnight. The murder took place in May.

The Polygraph test records physiological phenomena such as blood pressure, pulse rate and respiration, and the data is used to determine whether the person is speaking the truth.

The narco analysis, on the other hand, involves administering the individual medication which reduces their self-consciousness and allows them to speak freely.

Poonawala has to undergo a set of tests to ascertain his emotional, mental, physiological and psychological well-being. The narco analysis cannot be conducted if he is found to be "disturbed" in the preliminary tests.
On Tuesday, Poonawala had undergone the first session of the polygraph test, also known as the lie detector test, at FSL, Rohini.

(With agency inputs)