Court extends judicial custody of Aftab Poonawala for next 14 days

New Delhi: Delhi’s Saket court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of the accused in the Shraddha Walker murder case, Aftab Poonawala for the next 14 days.

Saying Poonawala has requested some law books to study, the court has also directed the authorities to provide him with warm clothes.

On December 24, allowing the plea of Delhi Police seeking permission to obtain a voice sample of Poonawala, a Delhi court said even though a fair trial is a right of an accused but at the same time, a fair investigation is required in the larger public interest.

Metropolitan Magistrate Vijayshree Rathore of Saket court said, “True, a fair trial is the right of the accused but it is also true that fair investigation is also required in the larger public interest as the offence cannot escape and crime cannot go unnoticed merely because the accused is not ready to aid in the investigation.”

“Thus, the application moved by the Investigating Officer (IO) seeking permission for a voice sampling test of the accused is allowed,” the court said.

The court also referred to the decision of the Supreme Court of India in ‘Ritesh Sinha vs State UP’, clarifying its position that “judicial order compelling a person to give a sample of his voice is not violative of Fundamental Right to Privacy, under Article 20(3) of the Constitution of India”.