Aaftab Poonawala, the prime accused in the Shraddha Walkar murder case, was "bold, confident, and looked like he was from a good family," said the doctor who treated him for an injury on his right forearm in the last week of May 2022, reportedly around the same time he allegedly killed Walkar, his live-in partner.
The doctor, Anil Kumar Singh, who has been running a clinic in Delhi's Chhatarpur since 2006, told The Quint that he had two interactions with Poonawala – first, when he came in for treatment in May, and second, when the police brought him in for verification three days ago, on 13 November.
"He came off as aggressive the first time, but was a completely different person the second time," Dr Singh, who is a general surgeon, added.
A police source told The Quint that Poonawala consulted Dr Singh with a minor injury mark on his right hand at the end of May.
'Had a 20-Minute Interaction With Him'
Dr Singh told The Quint that Poonawala came to his clinic with a superficial laceration (a small cut) on his right forearm one morning in May and that he gave him five-six stitches. "He came into the casualty of my clinic. I asked him how he got his injury and he said that his knife slipped and hurt him while he was cutting fruits," he said.
As Dr Singh – who has dealt with several trauma cases – couldn't find any other injury or scratch, he asked Poonawala if he was stabbed or if he got into a fight with someone. "He clearly denied it and said it was just an accident. I had no reason not to believe him."
Dr Singh said he had a 20-minute interaction with Poonawala as he was stitching his wound up. "During our conversation, he told me he's not originally from Delhi, but from Mumbai. I was curious, so I asked him why he moved. He told me it was because the IT sector in Delhi was better and that he was getting a good salary here," the doctor said.
The surgeon, however, added that he didn't ask him any personal questions and "didn't suspect anything" during their interaction. "He was very bold and confident, and spoke in English."
'Refused To Make Eye Contact'
Dr Singh told The Quint that on 13 November, when two constables brought Poonawala into the clinic for verification, he "immediately recognised him."
"He was in cuffs, so I knew something was wrong. But I was shocked beyond words when they said he had allegedly killed someone. In my first interaction with him, he looked decent, like he was from a good family. I couldn't believe what the police were saying."Dr Anil Kumar Singh, doctor who treated Aaftab Poonawala
But Dr Singh added that Poonawala's disposition had changed considerably during their second interaction. "He was very nervous and refused to make eye contact with me," he said.
According to PTI, apart from the doctor, the police have recorded the statements of the couple's mutual friend, Badri, the owner of the shop from where Poonawala bought the fridge, and also the shopkeeper from whose shop Poonawala had brought a hacksaw.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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