Vikas Walker, the father of murder victim Shraddha Walkar, died of a heart attack in the Vasai area of Mumbai, reported the news agency IANS on Sunday, February 9. According to the IANS, He was depressed and awaiting his daughter's ashes, whose murder case is ongoing with accused Aaaftab Amin Poonawala in jail.
Shraddha Walkar, who was in a live-in relationship with 28-year-old accused Poonawala, was allegedly strangled by the latter on May 18, 2022. The accused allegedly disposed of her body and kept it in a fridge. He threw her body parts at an isolated area across Delhi over several days to dodge arrest and confuse police. Several parts were found later in a forest area near the accused's house.
In November 2024, Delhi's Tihar Jail officials reviewed the security situation of accused Aftaab Poonawalla, who had allegedly received threats from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. During interrogation, Shivakumar Gautam, also known as Shiva, the main accused in Siddique’s murder, revealed that Shubham Lonkar, a member of the Bishnoi gang, had discussed attacking Poonawalla. However, the gang reportedly decided against it due to the tight security surrounding Poonawalla.
Poonawal and Shraddha were in a relationship for the past 3 years before she was killed by her partner. Sraddha's family was against the relationship. When the family opposed Shraddha's decision to opt for a live-in relationship with Poonawala in 2019, the victim said being a 25-year-old woman, she was capable of making her own decisions and that her father could well assume that henceforth, she ceased to be her daughter.