New Delhi: While a photograph of Shraddha Walkar, with bruises on her face, has been doing the rounds on social media, purported WhatsApp chats between her and some acquaintances from 2020 have revealed that she was allegedly beaten up by her boyfriend, Aftab Poonawalla, frequently.
Poonawalla is now accused of killing 27-year-old Walkar in Delhi, where they were in a live-in relationship, chopping her body into 35 parts and disposing them in the Mehrauli jungle.
In one WhatsApp chat from 24 November, 2020, seen by ThePrint, Walkar purportedly tells an acquaintance from work that she “won’t be able to make it because of all the beating”. She also mentions that her blood pressure was low and her body hurt.
Walkar goes on to say that she has no energy to get out of bed because of the “beating”. The screenshot of the chat, however, does not mention Poonawalla.
“So everything got sorted after going to his parent’s house. He is moving out today. And I won’t be able to make it today because from all the beating yesterday I guess my bp is low and my body hurts. Energy nahi bachi he bed se uthne ki. Also I need to make sure he moves out today,” read her message.
“Sincere apologies for the trouble I have caused to you and the way it impacted work,” it reads.
Rahul Rai, Walkar’s friend, had told ThePrint earlier that he took her to the Mumbai Police sometime around October-November, 2020, after Poonawalla allegedly hit her but she refused to take further action against him.
According to the police and Shraddha’s family as well as friends, she met Poonawalla in 2019 via a dating app. Both left their home to live together in Mumbai.
Also read: Blood traces at home, CCTV images — what Delhi Police have found so far in Shraddha murder case
‘We are all with you’
In another WhatsApp chat, an acquaintance tells Shraddha, “Don’t be scared. We all are with you, What’s your husband’s name.”
“I will do something in the meantime,” the acquaintance tells her, and shares the contact number of another individual, saying he was the nearest person to her location. Walkar replies by sending an image of herself. And to this, the person replies, “Baccha (Child) don’t be scared. We all are with you.”
In another WhatsApp chat, Walkar says, “It’s gonna take some time. I need to do some more rounds to the police station in a while now so I can’t come today.” Walkar is asked to meet the ‘Mahila Mandal people’ in reply, and move out of the house.
When Walkar shared her photo with another friend during a chat, the latter asks, “Jesus what happened to your nose love? Fell or something?” Shraddha replied that she fractured it during a fall down the stairs.
According to sources in the Delhi Police, during questioning, Poonawalla said the couple had a strained relationship and had frequent fights. On the day of the alleged crime, the duo fought after Walkar suspected him of infidelity and wanted him to go to Mumbai to get their stuff. Sources said, the couple allegedly fought over who would spend money to go to Mumbai.
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