NEW DELHI: Shraddha Walkar, the 27-year-old woman who was chopped to pieces allegedly by her live-in partner Aaftab Poonawala in May last year, had told a psychiatric counsellor online that her boyfriend had repeatedly threatened to "hunt", "find" and "kill" her.
In an audio clip that the prosecution has shared with the court, Shraddha was heard pleading with Aaftab, present during the counselling session, that he should not hit her, but "talk out" their problems.
Aaftab was heard saying that this was not "the person" he wanted to be.
It is unclear who had booked the counselling sessions with the healthcare app, Practo, and how long before Shraddha's murder the sessions had happened. What is, however, clear from Shraddha's pleas and Aaftab's words is that he thrashed her several times, once causing her to black out.
In the 34-minute audio clip, Shraddha was heard telling the counsellor: "I don't know how many times he tried to kill me. This is not the first time he tried to kill me. Almost twice killed today."
Describing the latest attempt on her life, she said: "The way he grabbed my neck, mera poora black out ho gaya tha (I had a blackout). I was unable to breathe for 30 seconds or a little bit more than that. Thankfully, I was able to defend myself by pulling his hair."
She said: "Whenever I start ranting about my anger, if he is somewhere around, anywhere in Vasai (Mumbai), anywhere around me in this fu***ng city, he will find me, he will hunt me down, he will try to kill me. That is the problem."
Shraddha specifically mentioned that Aaftab had a tendency of wanting to kill her. "Not just physical violence, but it leads Aaftab to almost kill me. This is not the first time he tried to kill me," she was heard saying.
Aaftab then said that this is not who he wanted to be. "I am not the person who really wants this to happen," he said.
Shraddha then told him: "I beg, when you are hitting me, to at least not hit, to talk it out. It has been two years since I have been telling you to talk it out."
According to the prosecution, the couple had booked three sessions, one of which was cancelled.
Special public prosecutors (SPP) Amit Prasad and Madhukar Pandey, who appeared for Delhi Police, said it was immaterial whether the case was based on direct or circumstantial evidence.
Citing earlier cases, they said: "Charges can be framed if there is material showing possibility of commission of the crime as against certainty."
SPP Prasad told the court: "These clearly are incriminating circumstances, revealed through reliable and clinching evidence. These circumstances form a chain of events which leads to an irresistible conclusion about the guilt of the accused for offences under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender)."
The counsel for the prosecution submitted three cellphones that belonged to Shraddha along with evidence of transaction in her two bank accounts and one credit card.
The Delhi Police counsel said that they had found bones, pieces of the jaw and blood that were identified as Shraddha's. The blood was matched using DNA profiling, the jaw was identified by a dentist and the use of a saw on the bones was confirmed by AIIMS.
The prosecution said that Aaftab had bought a refrigerator, a saw blade, water, cleaner and incense sticks.
Shraddha was earlier seen wearing a ring, which Aaftab may have given to another woman.
This woman had produced the ring before the investigators.
Advocate Javed Hussain, who was appearing for Aaftab, requested for time from the court to address the arguments.
The court of additional sessions judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar posted the matter for March 25.