A man from Delhi has been arrested after he killed his live-in partner and chopped her body into 35 pieces before disposing them across the city near Mehrauli forest area for 18 days.

The accused, identified as Aftab Poonawalla and the victim, Shraddha, reportedly worked at the same call canter in Mumbai and lived together despite the girl’s parents’ objection. During an argument with her that happened on May 18, Aftab choked her to death and later chopped off her body into 35 pieces using a saw and continued disposing them for 18 days in different parts across the city.

Aftab also apparently bought a big fridge to store the body parts, and would go to Mehrauli to dispose off the body parts in the forest area every night around 2 am. The girl’s father, who visited Delhi around five months ago, found the door to her house locked, following which he lodged a missing complaint. As per the police, Shraddha’s constant request to get married to him made Aftab kill her.

“A man & a woman had come here from Mumbai. A few days after they started staying here, the woman's father in Mumbai realised she was missing. He filed a missing report with Mumbai Police. Her last location was found to be Delhi,” Ankit Chauhan, Addl DCP-I, South district, Delhi, was quoted as saying.

“They got together via dating app, were in a live-in relationship in Mumbai and continued here. They quarreled frequently & it used to get out of control. In this particular instance, the man lost his temper and killed her in May this year. He told us that he chopped her into pieces & disposed of her parts in nearby areas. He has been arrested, investigation going on,” the official added. The accused has been sent into a five-day judicial custody.

एक रूह कँपाने वाले मामले में दिल्ली में एक लड़की को उसके बॉयफ्रेंड ने जान से मार दिया और उसके 35 टुकड़े कर फ्रिज में रखे! उसके शव के टुकड़ों को शहर के अलग अलग इलाक़ों में फेंका। समाज में कैसे कैसे दरिंदे पल रहे हैं। पुलिस ने आरोपी को गिरफ़्तार किया है, दरिंदे को कड़ी सजा हो। pic.twitter.com/aMppxvu8zv

— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) November 14, 2022