Man Chokes Girlfriend To Death, Watches 'Dexter' Series To Learn How To Chop Body

An Indian food blogger who killed his girlfriend earlier this year was inspired by the American crime drama "Dexter" to chop the victim's body into dozens of pieces, he claimed.

Aftab Poonawalla strangled his girlfriend Vikas Walkar on May 18, India.com reported.

The two, both 28, had gotten into an argument over marriage that day.

Following the murder, Poonawalla was inspired by his favorite television show, "Dexter," to chop Walkar's body into pieces, he told police.

The CBS drama centers on the titular character played by Michael C. Hall, Dexter Morgan.

Morgan is a forensic technician in Miami who leads a secret parallel life as a vigilante serial killer hunting down the guilty.

Poonawalla, a trained chef, used a meat cleaver to chop Walkar's body into 35 pieces and stored them in a 300-liter (79.2-gallon) refrigerator that he purchased and kept at the couple's rented apartment in Chhatarpur, Delhi.

He reportedly used perfumes, deodorant and incense sticks to help keep the odor at bay.

Poonawalla told interrogators that he was sometimes frightened by what he had gotten himself into, but the fear of getting arrested kept him going, the Times of India reported.

Every day for 16 days, Poonawalla would go to the fridge at 2 a.m., retrieve a body part or two, stuff them in a bag and leave the house.

He would then dump the parts in drains and forested areas at a new location every day.

Poonawalla, who ran a food blog on Instagram named "HungryChokro," also allegedly interacted with Walkar's friends using the victim's social media accounts to not arouse any suspicion.

Delhi police were able to nail Poonawalla six months after the murder. Poonawalla confessed to the crime following his arrest over the murder.

He later pointed out the places where he disposed of his girlfriend's dismembered remains.

Authorities have taken out the refrigerator used to store the body parts.

Poonawalla's fellow tenants were reportedly surprised after learning of the murder since no one recalled him being stressed.

"It was only on Monday that we learned about the murder and saw the photograph of the woman who lived here," a resident said.

"He behaved like a normal person, and there was a sense of calmness on his face," one of Poonawalla's neighbors noted.