Mehrauli Murder: DNA Test confirms bones recovered were Shraddha's

New evidence has surfaced in the Shraddha Walkar murder case — a DNA test has confirmed that the bones recovered in the Mehrauli jungle do indeed belong to the victim.

The police had recovered 13 bones from the forest, including Shraddha's jaw. They had also recovered the pelvic bone, an attachment of the lower limbs found with the sacrum which is a shield-shaped bony structure located at the base of the lumbar vertebrae.

The police were led to the bones by the alleged killer Aaftab Poonawala who was Shraddha's live-in partner. The DNA test was carried out using samples from Shraddha's father.

The police had thus far collected some of the knives allegedly used by Aaftab Poonawala, besides his confession as evidence. However, a confession is not generally considered valid enough evidence.

Aaftab also underwent a polygraph test and a narco analysis test after a Delhi court gave permission for it. Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) officials said that Aaftab confessed to killing Shraddha Walkar during the polygraph test and said he had no guilt about the crime he committed.

Aaftab allegedly murdered Shraddha Walkar on May 18, had chopped her body into 35 pieces that he kept in a fridge and later dumped in the jungle near their rented flat in South Delhi's Mehrauli over 18 days.

Both the accused and deceased hail from Maharashtra and shifted to Delhi's Chattarpur Pahadir area in May.

The crime came to light after her father approached the police in their hometown in Maharashtra in October.

The father, Vikas Walkar, had not been in touch with her as he was upset because of her inter-faith (Hindu-Muslim) relationship with Aaftab Poonawala. Having met over a dating app, the couple lived together for a few months in their hometown Vasai near Mumbai before shifting to Delhi in May this year.

The father had recently accused the Maharashtra police of being lax when she had reported that Aaftab Poonawala had assaulted her in 2020. However, the police claimed that she had given a written submission requesting no action be taken as the couple had reached a compromise.