Last year, Shukla’s multiple sextortion calls from two mobile numbers died down after Poonekar lodged a complaint with the cyber cell. Ironically, the duo had never met before the bloody Saturday afternoon. The cyber complaint had then gone into a deep freeze. Now, police have added extortion and criminal conspiracy charges in the case, besides murder.
Besides the trio of Shukla, co-conspirator Sakshi Grover and victim Poonekar, police sources stated there could be more men and women, who were entrapped in the murky web of sex, porn, video chats and extortion. Apart from boxes stashed with condoms, cell phones and laptops seized from Poonekar’s home have thrown up clues on other women and couples, who frequented his Rajnagar house, said police.
A senior official said, more complaints of sextortion, blackmail and forced sex may come up once Shukla is nabbed, and his cell phone seized.
Sadar police on Monday sought Sakshi’s 10-day remand. Sakshi’s last two WhatsApp calls on Poonekar’s cell phone had helped police zero in on her and crack the love triangle. Sources said, she had earlier accompanied Shukla to Poonekar’s Rajnagar locality and pointed to his office-cum-residence. After the murder, Sakshi whisked away Shukla on her scooter and dropped him near Morris College T-point — after which the key accused remained elusive.
It’s learnt Poonekar and Sakshi were friends for over a decade and she would engage in candid conversations with him, while being in a relationship with Shukla.
Police are scouring the crime records of Shukla in different states, especially Azamgarh in UP. Sources said, cops are searching specific towns in north India to track him down. A police officer, however, said, “If Shukla was demanding money from Poonekar a year ago, why did he wait so many months to eliminate him? His arrest and interrogation will open a Pandora’s box.”