Mumbai: Vikas Walkar, the father of Shraddha Walkar who was killed by her live-in partner and her body butchered for its disposal, on Friday met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and slammed the Palghar police for inaction.
Speaking with media persons later, Walkar contended that if the Vasai and Nala Sopara police (in Palghar district) had taken timely action in the matter, his daughter could have been saved from the macabre death.
“Learning about her death has shaken my family and me. My health has deteriorated. If the local police had conducted the investigation then properly, my daughter would have been alive,” said Walkar.
However, he said that the joint probe by the Delhi Police and Vasai police (Palghar) is now proceeding in the right direction and reiterated his demand for the capital punishment for sole prime accused Aftab Poonawala, currently in custody at the Tihar Jail in New Delhi.
Walkar also demanded an enquiry into the role of the police officials who allegedly did not take prompt action on Shraddha’s complaint of November 23, 2020 when she had expressed apprehensions for her life after Poonawala had threatened to kill and cut her into pieces – which later proved prophetic.
Soon after the SOS letter surfaced (reported by IANS on November 23), Fadnavis had announced a probe into the purported delays in probing the complaint, though police sources later said that she had subsequently withdrawn that plea, and she reportedly declined to meet a police team which visited her home.
After meeting Walkar, Fadnavis assured him that justice will be given to his family and their daughter Shraddha, and appropriate punishment shall be given to the accused.
Walkar also acknowledged BJP ex-MP Kirit Somaiya for arranging and financing his visit to Delhi to seek justice after his daughter’s body parts were recovered in November, shocking the nation.
–IANS