Fadnavis assures probe on why 'no action was taken' on Walkar's complaint

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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said an inquiry will be initiated into why "no action" was taken by the police on the complaint it received from Shhradha Walkar in 2020, and added that she could have been saved had they acted in time.

Walkar, a 27-year-old call centre employee, was allegedly murdered by her live-in partner Aaftab Poonawala in Delhi in May this year. Poonawala (28) allegedly strangled Walkar and sawed her body into 35 pieces which he kept in a fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in South Delhi's Mehrauli area before dumping them across the city over several days past midnight.

Walkar had two years ago complained to the police in Maharashtra's Palghar district that Poonawala tried to kill her in 2020 and she feared he would cut her into pieces, an official said here on Wednesday. In her complaint letter dated November 23, 2020 written to Tulinj police in Palghar, Walkar also alleged that Poonawala used to beat her up and his parents were aware of it.

Talking to reporters after a programme in Nagpur, Fadnavis, who handles the state home portfolio, said he has gone through Walkar's complaint letter.

"I have seen it. The letter is very serious. We have to investigate why no action was taken on her complaint," he said.

"I don't want to level allegations against anyone, but such incidents happen when action is not taken on receiving complaints. Definitely an inquiry will be initiated into this," the deputy CM said.

Fadnavis also said that her life may have been saved had action been taken.

Earlier in the day, a police official from Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar police commissionerate claimed that after receiving her complaint in 2020, a police officer had visited the place in Vasai town, where Walkar and Poonawala lived together, to probe her complaint. However, Walkar had then said that she was withdrawing her complaint as the issues between her and Poonawala were resolved.