A Delhi court has directed Tihar jail authorities to ensure the safety of Aaftab Amin Poonawala, the accused in the Shraddha Walkar murder case, after he told the court that fellow inmates had been threatening him with death and bodily harm.

The Saket District Court passed the order on Monday, during the trial in which Additional Sessions Judge Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi is recording prosecution evidence on a day-to-day basis.

Poonawala told the court that he is lodged in Jail No. 4A of Tihar, which houses a special cell but is also the punishment ward.

He alleged that for the past 10 days a few inmates had repeatedly threatened to hurt him, including by slashing his face with improvised weapons.

He also gave the court the names of five inmates he accused of making the threats. The court redacted the names for his safety.

After hearing him, the court directed the concerned jail superintendent to take immediate steps to ensure his safety and security.

It said he could be shifted to another ward or cell if required, and asked the superintendent to file a status report at the earliest.

A copy of the order has been sent to the jail superintendent and to the investigating officer and SHO of Mehrauli police station for compliance.

Walkar, a 27-year-old call centre employee, was killed in 2022. The prosecution alleges that her live-in partner, Poonawala, murdered her and dumped her body parts in a forested area.

This is not the first time concerns over Poonawala’s safety have reached the courts.

In March 2024, the Delhi High Court asked Tihar authorities to let him out of solitary confinement for eight hours a day.

The jail had argued then that he was kept in a security prison because of perceived threats, and cited an earlier attack on him while he was being taken to a forensic laboratory.

The allegations of threats made by Poonawala are yet to be verified, and the jail’s status report is awaited.