New Delhi: A metropolitan court here on Tuesday sought the response of the Delhi police to two applications filed by Mehrauli murder accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala for the release of his educational certificates so he could pursue higher studies and for a "proper" digital copy of the charge sheet. Poonawala has been accused of killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and disposing of her body after cutting it into several pieces.
Metropolitan magistrate Aviral Shukla issued notice to the investigation officer (IO) on the pleas. The court will likely hear the petition related to writing material and release of educational certificates on Wednesday. The matter related to supply of e-charge sheet has been listed for February 17. Poonawala has claimed in his applications that he was "falsely implicated" in the case and that the prosecution "intentionally" provided a digital copy of the charge sheet "which cannot be read".
A court here had taken cognisance of the Delhi Police's charge sheet on February 7 and posted the matter for further proceedings on February 21. The first application filed by Poonawala's counsel M S Khan claimed he was "falsely implicated" in the present case and was "languishing" in the Tihar Jail. "The applicant wants to pursue his higher studies so he wants all his certificates," it said.
It also said Poonawala "urgently" required stationery items such as pen, pencil and notebook. The other application requested for a soft or digital copy of the charge sheet in a "proper" way. The Delhi Police had filed a 6,629-page charge sheet on January 24. "That on the last date of hearing the applicant was supplied the chargesheet but the chargesheet in the soft copy or pen drive is not proper as the prosecution intentionally provided the soft copy which cannot be read," the application said.
It claimed the pen drive was "overloaded" and not supported by advanced computers and that the video footage was "mismanaged". "It is, therefore, prayed that this court may kindly be pleased to pass an order directing the investigating officer to supply the soft copy in a folder-wise manner and the video footage may be in other pen drives as filed in the chargesheet, in the interest of justice," the application said. (PTI)
