A Delhi court has cancelled proceedings in the Shraddha Walkar murder case scheduled for July 20 after the accused, Aftab Poonawala, informed the court that he would be appearing for his postgraduate examination at Tihar Jail on that day.
The court had earlier fixed the matter for day-to-day recording of prosecution evidence from July 20 to July 25. Eight prosecution witnesses are yet to be examined.
While Poonawala's request to appear for his examination appears legitimate, this is not the first time the trial has been deferred at his request, raising questions about the pace of proceedings in the high-profile case.
According to an NDTV report, the court postponed the proceedings about 10 months ago after Poonawala sought time for a dental appointment. On another occasion, he requested an adjournment for a psychiatric consultation, following which the hearing was also rescheduled.
The report said these instances "point to a pattern where the accused's personal requirements have repeatedly taken precedence over the pace of the trial."
Shraddha, a 27-year-old call centre employee, was allegedly murdered by her live-in partner, Poonawala, in May 2022. According to the prosecution, he strangled her, dismembered her body, stored the remains in a refrigerator, and disposed of them over several days at different locations across Delhi.
More than three years later, the trial is still underway, and Shraddha's family continues to await justice. Her father, Vikas Walkar, who had relentlessly pursued the case after her death, passed away in 2025. Her grandmother also died while the trial was in progress.
The family has not been able to perform Shraddha's last rites, as the remains recovered during the investigation continue to be preserved as evidence.
Since the trial began in 2023, the court has held more than 215 hearings. However, the prosecution is still in the evidence stage. The chief examination of 13 prosecution witnesses has been partly recorded, while the testimony of 12 others has been deferred.
Earlier this month, Poonawala moved an application seeking exemption from physical appearance before the court on July 20, stating that his final MA Sociology examination would be held from 2 pm to 5 pm that day.
Accepting the plea, the court cancelled the July 20 hearing and directed that the recording of prosecution evidence resume from July 21 at 2 pm. The remaining dates fixed earlier will continue as scheduled.
