Shraddha murder: Delhi Police to write to Bumble app seeking details of Aaftab’s profile | #datingscams | #lovescams

In a key development in Shraddha’s murder case, the Delhi Police might soon write a letter to dating app ‘Bumble’, seeking details of accused Aaftab Poonawala’s profile. Notably, the official headquarters of Bumble is located in the USA’s Texas.

As per sources, police are trying to get information about the woman who came to Aaftab’s residence after he committed murder. They are also probing whether his female friend was involved in the gruesome murder or aware of anything.

This development came after police got to know that Aaftab resumed dating a few days after killing his live-in partner and chopping her into 35 pieces. He was talking and meeting other girls while Shraddha’s body parts were stored in the fridge. It is pertinent to mention that Aaftab and Shraddha first met in 2019 on the same dating app. 

In an exclusive conversation with Republic TV, Cyber expert NS Nappinai talked about Shraddha’s murder case, “There has been a lot of development, particularly after the 2021 intermediary guidelines that have come into place. Irrespective of Bumble being based out of India, under the new law, they are mandated to have a grievances officer and nodal officer within India. There were multiple discussions on it whether we really needed it or not. Here is the situation which highlights the necessity of protective measures. As far as, the Bumble app is concerned, I recently got to know that only women can choose and men cannot but even with that, it won’t be necessarily sufficient”.

She added, “We will have to evaluate what checks and balance needs to be put in place because how you stop somebody to put their profile on dating apps, the app by itself would not be able to reference check people. Then what kind of cautionary notice needs to be sent out to the users, so that they understand that merely because a profile is available on a platform it doesn’t guarantee the genuineness and safety of the person?”

The cyber expert further said, “We have faced many instances, where people have put faked profiles, married people will put up profiles as if they are single or they would claim to be either divorced. Later on, the victims would find out that this was just a means to start an affair. There are many of these romance scams which even sometimes have financial consequences. It doesn’t always have to be a man victimizing women it can be the other way round too. Therefore, on the one hand, safety measures within the platform will explain to the users what is security available to them. And, a better awareness from the user’s side on what level they should engage with the person. They have to know about their remedies and law”.

“On the latter part of it there is always going to be a need for evolved cybercrime law but whatever we will find as a protective measure, the criminals will find ten different ways to violate it. The users should not throw caution out of the wind just because they are interacting on a digital platform. Prevention is the best cure,” she told Republic.

Aaftab admitted to murdering Shraddha: Sources

Delhi Police sources stated that Aaftab has admitted to his crime. He has claimed that no one else is involved but the police are not convinced and still continuing the investigation. He also said that some of his close friends were aware that Shraddha was no more. 

“Yes, Aaftab has accepted the crime that he has committed, but certain indications are there that he wasn’t alone. He also said that his close friends were aware that Shraddha is no more. He has mentioned that no one else is involved, but the police are still convinced and the investigation in connection with this is underway. He was taken to the Mehrauli police station and now back at the Mehrauli police station,” said the Delhi police source.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police took him to the jungle for recreation of the crime scene and to recover the dumped body parts of Shraddha and the weapon used for the heinous crime. In the video, Aaftab can be seen wearing a blue sweater, and black pants. His face was covered with a white cloth as the police team escorted him inside the jungle. The accused confessed to the police during interrogation that he used to take the pieces of the dead body for disposal at 2:00 am due to the little movement of people at this hour.

Republic TV also confronted Aaftab and questioned him, but the accused stayed silent. The Delhi Police is also probing a ‘conspiracy angle’ and whether Aaftab pre-planned and rented the Chhatarpur flat to kill Shraddha as the murder took place within three days of them shifting to the national capital.