Ponty Chaddha murder: Cops seize pistol from Namdhari's home

Dehradun, Nov 25: The Delhi police team investigating the murders of liquor baron Ponty Chaddha and his brother Hardeep today seized a 7.62 mm pistol from the home of former Uttarakhand Minority Commission chairman Sukhbir Singh Namdhari.

According to the investigators, Namdhari had used the pistol to fire at Hardeep Chaddha during the Nov 17 shootout at Ponty's Chattarpur farmhouse.

The accused confessed to having shot Hardeep after the latter pointed his gun at Namdhari, the police told a magisterial court in Delhi yesterday.

Though the defence counsel refuted this version of events, Metropolitan Magistrate Sandeep Garg remanded Namdhari in five-day police custody.

The court stresed that "The investigating agencies should be given an opportunity for their endeavour to recover the weapon used in the crime."

The Delhi Police believe Namdhari was the main conspirator in the shootout. The police pointed out that when Namdhari filed the FIR after Ponty and Hardeep were killed, there was no mention in it of him having shot at Hardeep on the fateful day.

Investigators said that the accused did not disclose anything about the shootout. Namdhari hid his pistol at home and in the FIR described the firing at the Chattarpur farmhouse as an accident, they added.

The police are looking for the associates of Ponty who had accompanied Namdhari to the Chattarpur farmhouse and thrashed Hardeep's men there. Namdhari has been booked for criminal tresspass and attempt to murder.

Yesterday, Uttarakhand Inspector General (Law and Order) Ramsingh Meena informed newspersons that Namdhari has been named as accused in several cases in the state.

"From murder to bullying his rivals into submission to establish his monopoly in mining business, there were 14 cases lodged against the former state minority panel chief, who is in custody now," the IG noted.

However, Namdhari's links with infuential politicians meant that stringent action was never taken against him. He was alloted mining leases in 2000 and subsequently dominated the industry in the state.

Namdhari had several times in the past helped Ponty grab land and reportedly threatened many persons. Due to this, the Uttarakhand police thrice received requests to cancel his gun licence.

OneIndia News