Ponty shootout case: Namdhari, others chargesheeted for murder

Sacked Uttarakhand minorities panel chief S S Namdhari and others were today chargesheeted for murder, conspiracy and kidnapping in the November 17 killing of liquor baron Ponty Chadha and his brother Hardeep in a shootout at a farmhouse here.

The Delhi Police filed its charge sheet in the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mukesh Kumar who had yesterday expressed displeasure over the failure of the cops to fulfil their assurance of filing the document by February 15.

The court took cognizance of the charge sheet and directed the crime branch of Delhi Police to produce Namdhari and the 10 other arrested accused before it on February 19.

In its over 1000-page long document, the police has chargesheeted Namdhari and 21 others for the offences including murder, attempt to murder, conspiracy, kidnapping, illegal confinement, trespass and destruction of evidence under the Indian Penal Code.

They have also been chargesheeted under the provisions of the Arms Act.

Ponty Chadha and Hardeep, who had an alleged property dispute, were killed in a shootout at a Chhattarpur farmhouse in South Delhi on November 17, last year.

The charge sheet has also listed out 110 prosecution witnesses in the document. A copy of the chargesheet was provided to all the parties in the case.

Out of 22, the Crime Branch had arrested Namdhari, his PSO Sachin Tyagi and nine others for their alleged role in the case.

Yesterday, the Crime Branch had also sought extension of the judicial custody remand of all 10 arrested accused by two days.

The court had allowed the plea and had directed the police to produce them before it on February 17.