Ponty Chadha murder: 7 surrender, sent to police custody

, March 7: Seven persons, wanted for their alleged roles in the

of liquor baron Ponty Chadha and his younger brother Hardeep at a farm house here, on Thursday surrendered before a Delhi

which sent them to police custody for seven days.

The seven accused, who were chargesheeted along with sacked Uttarakhand minorities panel chief SS Namdhari and 13 others for killings on November 17, 2012, appeared before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Raj Kumar Tripathi who remanded them in police custody till March 14.

The men, allegedly belonging to Namdhari's group, were Satnam Singh alias Satte, Balkar Singh, Baaj Singh, Pargat Singh, Kulbir Singh, Bakshish Singh and Hardayal Singh. The court had earlier issued non-bailable warrants against them and two others who are still absconding.

The court had on December 28, 2012, ordered initiation of proceedings under section 82 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to declare them as absconders. They are wanted for their alleged roles in killing of Hardeep.

Seeking custody of the accused, the Delhi Police Crime Branch officials said the accused are to be taken at various places in Uttar Pradesh for recovery of weapons used in the commission of the crime. The police also said they are also to be confronted with the call details and CCTV footage which have been seized during investigation in the case.

Ponty Chadha and Hardeep, who had an alleged property dispute, were killed in a shootout at a Chhattarpur farmhouse in south Delhi. Besides Namdhari and his personal security officer Sachin Tyagi, the police on February 16 had chargesheeted 20 others including Ponty for the offences ranging from attempt to murder, causing grievous harm, dacoity, rioting with deadly weapons, house trespass, kidnapping and illegally confining occupants of the farmhouse and destruction of evidence.

PTI