MUMBAI: Darshana Saxena, a local BJP Mahila leader and social worker in suburban Mumbai, has alleged that the Delhi fridge murder accused Aftab Amin Poonawalla could be influenced by ISIS (Islamic State), Taliban and Al Qaeda ideology and demanded an NIA investigation in the matter.
According to her, Poonawalla was watching macabre murder shows, films and web series online. He could have also accessed ISIS and Al Qaeda literature and could be in touch with terror groups. The police must investigate all angles, she demanded.
Poonawalla is accused of murdering his live-in girlfriend Shraddha Walkar, storing the corpse in a 300-litre fridge, cutting up the body into 35 pieces and dumping them in forested areas of Delhi over a period of about 3 months. Besides custodial interrogation, the Delhi police conducted polygraph and narco tests and his answers were the same throughout.
“Based on his replies during the custodial interrogation and his rehearsed replies during the polygraph and narco tests, where the accused is reported to have shown no regret or remorse at all for his acts and he is also reported to have said that he had done the right thing and will be rewarded with “jannah with 72 hoors”, I have come to the conclusion that Poonwala could have been influenced by ISIS, Taliban and Al Qaeda ideology and possibly also got indoctrinated online by the terrorist groups,” Darshana Saxena alleged, adding that it is a known fact that the accused was consuming and selling drugs.
“He was already into an illegal business. People will think twice before peddling drugs due to the quantum of punishment involved. Poonawalla did not bat an eyelid before killing his live-in girlfriend of 4 years and was also involved in the drug trade. All this means, he could be involved as a sleeper cell with some international syndicate or terror organisation. Normal people don’t murder and peddle drugs and have no sense of regret or remorse when arrested by the cops,” Darshana told this reporter, demanding that the NIA should also look into the case and identify if any terror link surfaces.