Mehrauli murder: Aftab Poonawala to be produced before sessions court on February 24

The voluminous 6,629-page charge sheet was filed by the Delhi Police on January 24 and the court took its cognisance on February 7

A magisterial court on February 21 moved the Mehrauli murder case to a higher court for initiation of trial proceedings.

Accused Aftab Amin Poonawala, who allegedly strangled his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and chopped her body into pieces, will be produced before the Saket's principal district and sessions judge on February 24.

Metropolitan Magistrate Aviral Shukla noted that the chargesheet was filed under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender) of the Indian Penal Code.

"Scrutiny of documents is complete... Section 302 of the IPC is exclusively triable by a sessions court. Accordingly, the accused be produced before the principal district and sessions judge on February 24 at 2 pm," the Magistrate said.

"The case is now committed to the sessions court," he added.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Poonawala was produced in the Metropolitan Magistrate Aviral Shukla's court and he requested he be allowed to carry a book of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), a notebook and a pen during the proceedings so that he could make notes and assist his advocate.

He also requested the court to grant permission to carry a religious book to the court.