Shraddha Walkar had filed a complaint against Aftab Poonawala for assaulting her with Tulinj police in Nalasopara East  in November 2020. However, she withdrew the complaint after 14 days following pressure and emotional blackmail by Poonawala and his family, alleged her friends. Tulinj police have confirmed the case and subsequent withdrawal. “Had the FIR been filed in November 2020, we would not have lost a bright girl like Shraddha. She was jovial by nature and a sound professional,” said Karan B, Walkar’s team leader in the BPO on Ghodbunder Road in Thane. 

Walkar and Poonawala at that time lived in a rented flat in Vasai East. “Shraddha was a performer, but there was a sudden decline in the quality of her work. She also started to skip. When I asked, I learnt that she was having troubles with her live-in partner. On November 23, 2020, she told me she needed the day off as her boyfriend assaulted her badly. I had asked other team members who live in Vasai to help her,” Karan told mi-day.