Shraddha Murder: ‘Aaftab Bought Two Hammers, Four Saws,' Says Store Owner

Speaking on how Aaftab behaved, Bansal said, “He seemed like an innocent person from a normal family."

"They brought the youth (Aaftab) with them saying that he has robbed a place using tools that he bought from my shop," the store owner said.

(Photo: Namita Chauhan/The Quint)

While the Delhi Police is yet to recover key evidence to solve the Shraddha Walkar murder case, a Chhatarpur hardware store owner confirmed to The Quint that Delhi Police had brought accused Aaftab Poonawala to his shop, days after his arrest.

Rajan Bansal, the store owner, told The Quint: “They brought the youth (Aaftab) with them saying that he has robbed a place using tools that he bought from my shop. They then asked me about the material he bought and when.”

Poonawala allegedly murdered 27-year-old Walkar in May this year, then chopped her body into pieces, and disposed them over the months that followed.

Speaking on how Aaftab behaved, Bansal said, “He seemed like an innocent person. Seedha saadha ladka lag raha tha. Wo darra nahi hua tha. He didn’t look scared.”

The store is barely 10 minutes from Poonawala's Chhatarpur flat.

Bansal said that when the accused was brought to his store, he confirmed his purchase of two hammers, four saws with hexa-blades (around 10-12 inches long), and about 300-gram nails.

Aaftab's Custody Extended, Polygraph Awaited

Meanwhile, Delhi's Saket court on Tuesday, 22 November, extended Poonawala's police custody for four more days.

A day earlier, Delhi Police got the court's go-ahead for a polygraph test on the accused.

Speaking to The Quint, Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Director Deepa Verma, said, "We are ready for the polygraph test. Whenever the police brings the accused, it will be conducted."

The polygraph test, known as the lie detector test, is done using a device which will record physiological phenomena of the accused such as – blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiration – while the subject answers questions from an operator. The data collected from the test is then used to determine the subject is telling the truth.

Though the test is not considered completely reliable, it will help the Delhi Police in formulating the questions for the narco test.

The Delhi Police will be resorting to the time-taking narco-analysis method since key evidence such as the missing murder weapon, the deceased’s remains, bloodstained clothes, and Shraddha’s phone, are yet to be found.