Aaftab Poonawala told a Delhi court that five Tihar inmates had threatened him. The judge ordered immediate protection, citing the state's duty towards undertrial prisoners.Poonawala told the court that some inmates had repeatedly threatened him over the past 10 days with bodily harm and said they would slash his face using “improvised weapons”.

A Delhi court has directed Tihar Jail authorities to take immediate steps to protect Aaftab Amin Poonawala, the accused in the Shraddha Walkar murder case, after he alleged that fellow inmates had threatened to slash his face, news agency Press Trust of India reported.Poonawala told the court that some inmates had repeatedly threatened him over the past 10 days with bodily harm and said they would slash his face using “improvised weapons”.Additional Sessions Judge Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi was recording prosecution evidence in the case when Poonawala raised concerns about his safety in prison.“The court deems fit to direct the concerned Jail Superintendent to take immediate steps to ensure safety and security of the accused. Further, if required, the accused may be kept in a separate ward and/or cell away from the notorious inmates,” the court said in its order.

Poonawala told the court that he was lodged in Jail No. 4A of Tihar Jail, which has a special cell and also serves as a punishment ward, PTI reported.Taking note of his submissions, the court directed the jail superintendent to ensure his safety and submit an action-taken report at the earliest.

It also ordered that a copy of the order be sent to the jail authorities and the investigating officer for compliance. “The safety of an undertrial prisoner is a top priority and one of the hallmark principles of the criminal justice system. It is the duty of the state to keep UTPs (undertrial prisoners) safe and secure, which is within the realm of a right to fair trial of an accused,” the judge said.Poonawala disclosed the names of five inmates who had allegedly threatened him.

The court, however, ordered that their names be removed from the record of proceedings to maintain confidentiality and protect the accused.The case relates to the 2022 murder of Shraddha Walkar, a 27-year-old call centre employee, allegedly by her live-in partner Poonawala. The prosecution has alleged that he strangled Walkar, cut her body into several pieces, stored them in a refrigerator and disposed of them over several days in different parts of Delhi.Poonawala had rented a flat in Delhi’s Mehrauli, where the alleged murder took place.

He was arrested on November 12, 2022. The prosecution alleged that he dumped Walkar’s body parts in a forested area after the killing.The trial has been pending since 2023.

Walkar’s father, Vikas Walkar, who pursued the case after her death, died in 2025.The court has now asked Tihar Jail authorities to act immediately on Poonawala’s allegations, protect him from the inmates he named and report the measures taken.- Ends