Mehrauli Murder Case: Delhi Court seeks cops response on Poonawala's pleas for e-charge sheet, edu certs

A metropolitan court in Delhi on Tuesday sought the Delhi police's response to two applications filed by Mehrauli murder suspect Aaftab Amin Poonawala for the release of his educational certificates so he could pursue higher education and for a 'proper' digital copy of the charge sheet. Aaftab Poonawala is accused of murdering his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and disposing of her body after cutting her into several pieces.

Metropolitan Magistrate Aviral Shukla notified the investigation officer (IO) of the pleas. On Wednesday, the court will most likely hear the petition concerning writing materials and the release of educational certificates. The issue of the e-charge sheet supply has been scheduled for February 17.

In his application, Poonawala has claimed that he was 'falsely implicated' in the case and that the prosecution 'intentionally' provided a digital copy of the charge sheet 'which cannot be read.'

On February 7, a court in this city took cognizance of the Delhi Police's charge sheet and scheduled the case for further proceedings on February 21.

Poonawala's counsel, MS Khan, claimed in the first application that he was 'falsely implicated' in the current case and was 'languishing' in Tihar Jail. It said, "The applicant wishes to pursue his higher studies, so he desires all of his certificates," it said. Additionally, it said that Poonawala 'urgently' needed stationery items like a pen, pencil, and notebook. The other application required a 'proper' soft or digital copy of the charge sheet. The Delhi Police submitted a 6,629-page charge sheet on January 24.

"That on the last hearing date, the applicant was provided with the chargesheet, but the charge sheet in the soft copy or pen drive is not proper as the prosecution purposefully provided the soft copy which cannot be read," the application read.

It said that the video footage was 'mismanaged' and that the pen drive was 'overloaded' and unsupported by advanced computers.

It's therefore kindly requested issue an order instructing the investigating officer to provide the soft copy in a folder-by-folder fashion, and the video footage may be on other pen drives as filed in the chargesheet, according to the document.

(With inputs from PTI)

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