Aaftab Poonawala, who is accused of killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar, told a Delhi court that even though he engaged a new lawyer for his case, he was unaware that a bail application was filed on his behalf, following which the court deferred the matter.
Earlier in the morning, Additional Sessions Judge Vrinda Kumari at Saket district court told Poonawala’s lawyer M S Khan that his client, through an email, denied that he had moved a bail application through his lawyer and stated that the application was moved erroneously.
Khan told the court that this was unprecedented and that there must have been “some pressure” in this case.
Poonawala appeared before the court through video conferencing around 11.30 am and told the court that even though he had signed the vakalatnama but he was not aware that a bail application would be filed on his behalf. A vakalatnama is a document by which the accused in the case authorises the advocate to represent him. He requested that his bail application be kept pending and only after he had a word with his counsel he would decide if he wanted to press the present bail application. The judge has deferred the hearing to December 22.
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Premium“I would like the counsel to talk to me and then withdraw the bail plea,” Poonawala said, replying to an enquiry by the judge on whether he intended to withdraw the bail application.
Poonawala, 28, has been accused of killing 27-year-old Shraddha Walkar on May 18, chopping her body into more than 30 pieces and disposing of the parts over two to three months.
