Police goes for second post-mortem of Ponty Chadha

New Delhi, Nov 18: A "botched up" autopsy on Sunday led to the deferment of cremation of liquor baron Ponty Chadha with police insisting on a second postmortem and taking the body to AIIMS after doctors informed them that they have not removed three bullets from his body.

Ponty was killed along with his brother Hardeep when both sides allegedly opened fire at each other on Saturday at a farmhouse in south Delhi's Chhattarpur following a dispute over ownership of the property. Their family had announced that they will cremate the brothers at Lodhi Crematorium on Sunday evening.

However, after fresh developments, they have not said when the cremation of Ponty and his brother will take place. A senior police official said Ponty's post-mortem was conducted and his body was handed over to the family initially but later doctors who conducted the autopsy told investigators that three bullets were still lodged in his body.

"In such a scenario, we cannot permit the body to be cremated. Law does not allow it. After persuading family, we have taken the body back to AIIMS for a re-postmortem," the official said. An AIIMS spokesperson said he has no details regarding the incident as of now and will comment after getting information regarding the episode. Police personnel were deployed in large numbers at AIIMS where the body was taken.

Ponty's family claimed that senior police officials have assured them that the second postmortem will be held tonight and body will be handed over to them. There was a drama at Chhattarpur when his body was taken and police tried to take it back. As the vehicle carrying the body was entering the premises, police stopped it at the gate and informed the family about the "botch-up" and said a re-postmortem had to be done.

There were arguments and police later allowed the body to be taken to the house following family's request that relatives and friends have gathered there to pay their last respects. When police tried to take the body later to hospital, the official said, an argument broke out again and police spoke to Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee president Paramjeet Singh Sarna who pacified the family. Sarna could not be contacted for his version.

PTI