The Delhi High Court has refused to set a fixed deadline for concluding the trial against Aaftab Amin Poonawala in the Shraddha Walkar murder case, citing that proceedings in the trial court are already conducted on a daily basis.
Closing a petition filed by the victim’s family, Justice Madhu Jain stated that the lower court is making every effort to complete the proceedings promptly, making additional directives unnecessary. In its order, the High Court also asked the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs to swiftly facilitate the examination of overseas witnesses as required by the trial court.
Progress of Proceedings
Appearing for the Delhi Police, Senior Advocate Amit Prasad informed the bench that the trial court hears the case every weekday. He highlighted that out of more than 200 listed witnesses, statements from 157 individuals have already been recorded.
Petitioner Claims Inordinate Delay
The petition was brought by Shreejay Vijay Walkar, the brother of the deceased, who alleged that the judicial process was moving too slowly without sufficient justification. Walkar contended that the prolonged delay in trial completion frustrates the criminal justice system and violates the constitutional guarantee of a speedy trial under Article 21.
Case Background
Walkar was allegedly strangled on May 18, 2022, by her live-in partner, Poonawala. According to a 6,629-page chargesheet submitted by the Delhi Police, Poonawala dismembered her body, preserved the remains in a refrigerator, and discarded them across secluded locations in the city over several days to evade detection. The remains were subsequently discovered by investigators.
