Shraddha Walkar Murder Trial: Delhi Court Cancels July 20 Hearing As Aaftab Poonawala Writes Final MA Exam In Tihar
A Delhi court cancelled the July 20 hearing in the Shraddha Walkar murder case after accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala was exempted from physical production to appear for his IGNOU examination in Tihar Jail
The Delhi court cancelled the July 20 trial hearing in the Shraddha Walkar murder case after Aaftab Amin Poonawala was granted exemption from physical production to appear for his IGNOU M.A. Sociology examination in Tihar Jail
A Delhi court has cancelled a scheduled trial hearing in the Shraddha Walkar murder case on July 20 after the accused, Aaftab Amin Poonawala, sought an exemption from physical production to appear for his university examinations inside the prison.
Additional Sessions Judge Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi of the Saket District Courts passed the order on July 8, 2026, upon an application moved by Poonawala.
Poonawala informed the court that he is scheduled to write his final M.A. Sociology examination, conducted by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), on July 20, 2026.
According to the application, the examination is slated to take place between 2:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. at the IGNOU Exam Centre situated within Central Jail No. 03, Tihar, where he is currently lodged.
Taking note of the examination datesheet, spanning from July 11 to July 20, the court granted the exemption.
"In view of the same, the next date i.e. 20.07.2026 stands cancelled" ASJ Jaggi stated in the order. The judge further directed that the recording of Prosecution Evidence (P.E.) will resume on July 21, 2026, at 2:00 P.M., clarifying that all other previously fixed dates for the trial will remain unchanged.
Earlier, on May 29, the ASJ Jaggi had directed that the trial will proceed on a day-to-day basis starting July 20. The matter was listed for recording prosecution evidence daily between July 20 and July 25, after which dates for August were to be fixed. The case has been pending since 2023.
On May 9, 2023, a Delhi Court had framed charges of murder and disappearance of evidence against Aftab Amin Poonawala, who is accused of strangling his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and chopping her body into pieces. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Manisha Khurana Kakkar of the Saket Court framed charges against Poonawala under Sections 302 (Murder) and 201 (Disappearance of Evidence) of the Indian Penal Code.
Poonawala was arrested on November 12, 2022, after Shraddha's father filed a complaint against him. Shraddha and Aftab were living as live-in partners in Mehrauli, Delhi. According to sources, Aftab had killed Shraddha six months before his arrest. It is alleged that Aftab chopped Shraddha's body into 35 parts and threw it in different places in Delhi.
Case Title: State v. Aftab Amin Poonawala
Bench: Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi
Order Date: July 8, 2026
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