Police have arrested Sakshi Grover (36) in connection with the murder, while the shooter, identified as Hemant Shukla, is on the run.
During her questioning, Grover denied having any link with the murder. However, the police later retrieved her deleted WhatsApp chats with Shukla, which revealed that the woman had instigated him to kill Poonekar, an official of Sadar police station said.
Based on Grover’s instructions, Shukla fired two bullets at Poonekar. During the probe, it was found that the bullets were fired from two separate weapons, he said.
According to police, Grover hails from Madhya Pradesh. Her husband had died a couple of years after her marriage. She had an affair with Poonekar earlier and was in a relationship with Shukla at present. However, Shukla suspected that she was still having an affair with Poonekar, to which he objected.
Senior police officials later went through the retrieved WhatsApp chats between Grover and Shukla, and found that on February 22, she had called Shukla and asked him to kill Poonekar.
Her WhatsApp message to Shukla in Hindi read, Agar main uska ghar dikha doon, to kya tum usko maar doge? (Will you kill him if I show you his house?), the police official said.
This showed that Grover was not only aware of the murder, but actively involved in the conspiracy, he added.
Efforts are on to nab Shukla, the police officials said. PTI COR NP
