Court Orders Protection For Aaftab Poonawala After Threats Inside Tihar Jail

A Delhi court on Monday directed the Tihar jail authorities to take immediate measures to ensure the safety of Aaftab Amin Poonawala, the accused in the Shraddha Walkar murder case, after he claimed that fellow inmates had threatened to slash his face.

Additional Sessions Judge Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi, who was recording prosecution evidence in the case, was informed by the accused that some inmates had been repeatedly threatening him for the past 10 days, saying they would slash his face with "improvised weapons" and cause him bodily harm.

In an order, the court said, "The court deems fit to direct the concerned Jail Superintendent to take immediate steps to ensure safety and security of the accused. Further, if required, the accused may be kept in a separate ward and/or cell away from the notorious inmates."

Poonawala informed the court that he was currently lodged in Jail No. 4A of Tihar Jail, which houses a special cell and is also a punishment ward. He expressed concerns over his safety and security inside the prison.

Taking note of his submissions, the court directed the jail superintendent to take immediate measures to ensure the safety and security of the accused and file an action-taken report at the earliest.

It directed that a copy of its order be sent to the jail authorities and the investigating officer for compliance.

"The safety of an undertrial prisoner is a top priority and one of the hallmark principles of the criminal justice system. It is the duty of the state to keep UTPs (under trial prisoners) safe and secure, which is within the realm of a right to fair trial of an accused," the judge said.

The accused disclosed the names of five inmates who had allegedly threatened him. However, the court ordered that their names be redacted from the proceedings record to maintain confidentiality and ensure the safety and security of the accused.

The case relates to the 2022 murder of Shraddha Walkar, a 27-year-old call centre employee, allegedly by her live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala.

The prosecution alleged that he strangled her, chopped her body into multiple pieces, stored them in a refrigerator and disposed of them over several days in different parts of Delhi.

Poonawala, who had rented a flat in Delhi's Mehrauli where the alleged murder took place, was arrested on November 12, 2022.

The prosecution alleged that he dumped Walkar's body parts in a forested area after the killing.

The trial in the case has been pending since 2023. Walkar's father, Vikas Walkar, who had pursued the case after her death, passed away in 2025.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)