Aftab Poonawalla is a high-risk inmate, psychologically very unstable, could commit suicide anytime in jail: Dr Pranav Kabra

MUMBAI: Dr Pranav Kabra, managing director of the Raksha Multispeciality Hospital at Malad in suburban Mumbai, who was consulted by the deceased victim Shraddha Walkar regarding treatment for depression and drug addiction in February last year today said that the accused murderer Aftab Poonawalla is a very high-risk inmate and could commit suicide at the first given opportunity in jail.

According to Dr Pranav Kabra, Shraddha told him that her “friend” was consuming drugs and need rehab and medication to get rid of the habit.

Aftab Poonawala who spent 13 days in police custody was sent to the Tihar Jail on Saturday on judicial or jail remand by a Magistrate’s court in Delhi. He is being kept in a special block with first time offenders under 24×7 CCTV monitoring and surveillance. However, this does not mean that CCTV cameras are available in the toilets and washrooms or other areas of the Tihar jail premises.

“Aftab is very unstable mentally and psychologically. The jail authorities must take extra care. He was a drug addict as mentioned by his late girlfriend Shraddha Walkar as well as in his own confessions. There are reports that he was consuming MD and marijuana for the last two years. Such patients are very unpredictable and unreliable. They may show something and do something exactly opposite. The next 1-2 months are very crucial as Aftab may try to harm himself due to his fluctuating moods, depression and other psychiatric and psychological tendencies,” Dr Kabra opined.