NEW DELHI: For initiation of trial proceedings, New Delhi's Saket court on Tuesday, February 21,  sent Shraddha Walkar murder case to a sessions court. Aftab Amin Poonawala, accused of killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and then chopping body into several pieces, will be produced before a principal district and sessions judge on, Friday  February 24.

"Scrutiny of documents is complete. Section 302of the Indian Penal Code is exclusively triable by sessions court. The accused be produced before principal district and sessions judge on February 24 at 2 pm", Metropolitan Magistrate Aviral Shukla said.

 Poonawala requested the court at the hearing for permission to carry a book of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a notebook, and a pen to the proceedings so that he could take notes and help his counsel. In response, Poonawala was directed to file an application before the sessions court.

It was on February 13 that Poonawala filed applications in the court for release of a 'proper' soft copy of the charge sheet and his educational certificates to pursue higher studies. The court had on February 7 taken cognizance of the charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police against Poonawala.

The police had submitted the nearly 6,000 page charge sheet in the case on January 24, and the court had extended his imprisonment by 14 days.

In one of his motions, Poonawala claims that he was "falsely implicated" in the case by the police charge sheet, which was created using forensic and technological evidence and about 100 witnesses. He has also argued that the prosecution knowingly delivered an unreadable digital copy of the charge sheet.

The first plea in the two applications, which were submitted by the accused's attorney M.S. Khan, claimed that the defendant had been wrongfully accused in the current case and was currently incarcerated.

Poonawala, who is being held in Tihar Prison, also mentioned in his petition that he wants to continue his education and needs all of his certifications in order to do so. Also, he needs stationery right away, including a pen, pencil, and notebook.

The second plea requests a "proper" soft copy of the charge sheet. "The charge sheet in the soft copy or pen drive is not proper as the prosecution intentionally provided the soft copy which cannot be read," his plea said.

He has asserted that the video footage was improperly maintained and that the pen drive was overburdened and unable to be sustained by modern computers.

Poonawala has asked the court to issue a ruling ordering the investigating officer to provide the video material on other pen drives and in a folder-by-folder format, as stated in the charge sheet.

Poonawala is charged of murdering Walkar, dismembering her body into multiple pieces, keeping them in a refrigerator, and eventually disposing of them over a three-month period in the Chhatarpur forest.
Poonawala had demanded legal reference materials. Also, the judge had ordered the jail staff to give him warm clothing.

Poonawala filed an application with the court on January 6 asking for the release of his debit and credit cards, stating the necessity for money to buy essentials including daily necessities and warm clothing.

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