Children above 18 should be controlled to avoid Shraddha’s plight: Vikas Walkar

Vikas Walkar, the father of Shraddha Walkar, allegedly strangled to death by her boyfriend Aftab Poonawala in Delhi, has demanded death penalty for the accused and a probe against Palghar police for allegedly not acting on his daughter complaints.

“Aftab Poonawala should be given capital punishment of hanging for killing my daughter…There should be stern action against Poonawala and whosoever was involved in the case,” Walkar told reporters in Mumbai after meeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Also read: Aftab confessed to killing Shraddha in polygraph test, had no remorse: Reports

After allegedly murdering Shraddha, Aftab chopped her body into 35 pieces which he kept in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in Mehrauli in south Delhi in May this year, before dumping them across the city over several days.

“An inquiry should also be conducted against the police officials of Vasai and Nalasopara and Tulinj police (in Palghar district) for delayed the investigation on Shraddha’s complaint. Had they acted immediately, my daughter would have been alive now,” he Walkar said.

In her complaint against Aftab before Tulinj police in November 2020, Shraddha had alleged that he was abusing and beating her up and also threatens to kill her by suffocating her and cut her body into pieces.

“Poonawala has been abusing me and beating me up. Today, he tried to kill me by suffocating me and he scares and blackmails me that he will kill me, cut me up in pieces and throw me anyway. It’s been six months he has been hitting me. But I did not have the guts to go to police because he would threaten to kill me,” Shraddha wrote in her complaint.

Also read: Why didn’t Shraddha Walkar just walk away? It’s complicated

While speaking to reporters, Walkar said he had urged Shraddha not to stay with Aftab as he was from another community, but she said she was an adult and was entitled to her own decision.

“Before leaving home, I had a conversation with Shraddha. I said he isn’t from our community. Don’t stay with him. She said I want to stay with him,” NDTV quoted Walkar as saying.

“There should be counselling and control over children who turn 18. My daughter told me while leaving home that she was an adult, that’s why I am saying this.” He said.

Also read: Shraddha murder: Police recover 5 knives Aftab used to chop body, saw missing

Walkar said even though he was initially upset with the pace of the probe, he is satisfied with it now.

He said the Delhi Governor and DCP Delhi South and Maharashtra deputy CM Fadnavis have assured justice to his family.

(With inputs from agencies)