Namdhari custody extended again

A city court on Wednesday further extended the police remand of sacked Uttarakhand minority panel chief Sukhdev Singh Namdhari, booked on charges of murder in slain liquor baron Ponty Chadha shootout case, till December 7. Namdhari’s police custody was extended after Delhi police crime branch told the court that during the interrogation, the accused had disclosed the name of his associates and his custodial interrogation is required for their identification. “In the facts and circumstances of the case, the accused Namdhari is further remanded to two days of police custody. “The accused be produced before this court or any other competent court upon the expiry of the police custody remand on December 7,” the court said. The agency told the court that since the shootout took place in south Delhi farm house, around eight people have been arrested in the “war-like” situation in which approximately 32 people with rifles have actively participated and are yet to be arrested. The investigation officer also said, “Accused Namdhari had managed arms license and weapons for the Khalsa Brigade from Amritsar, Punjab. The same weapons had been used for the commission of offence by his persons at the spot for trespass and assault.” However, R.S. Malik, counsel appearing for Mr Namdhari, opposed the police plea for remand, saying his earlier remand was also sought on the same ground and there is nothing new in the fresh application. During the hearing, the investigating officer Jitendar Singh told the court that investigation in the case and statement of a witness has established that Mr Namdhari and his PSO Sachin Tyagi, who is already in police custody, had fired at Ponty’s brother Hardeep, who had also died in the shootout. Ponty and Hardeep, who had an ongoing property dispute, were killed in a shootout at their Chattarpur farmhouse on November 17 afternoon, after which the police has arrested eight people, including Namdhari and Tyagi, in various criminal cases linked to the incident.