Police say farmhouse row behind killing of Ponty Chadha, brother

Investigators said the killing of liquor baron Ponty Chadha and his younger brother Hardeep was sparked off by the former's attempt to take possession of a south Delhi farmhouse on which they were locked in a dispute. The shooting on Saturday afternoon took place on the road right outside the back gate of farmhouse No. 42 in Chhatarpur, owned by the Chadha family.

The case filed by the police at the Mehrauli police station on the complaint of Sukhdev Singh Namdhari, chairman of the Uttaranchal Minorities Commission who was Ponty's friend and is an eyewitness in the case, has been registered under Section 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and Section 25 of the Arms Act. Hardeep's manager has registered another case, against Ponty's men on charges of tresspassing and murder.

While no one has been arrested so far, PSOs assigned to the men involved in the shootout are being detained by the police.

Namdhari has said in his complaint that Ponty and he had come to the farmhouse at around 12 noon. According to Namdhari, while they were still in the car, Ponty's aide Narender Kumar Ahwalwat got out and went to the gate.

"As the gate was being opened from inside, I saw Hardeep with his men near our car. Hardeep fired at the car and then at Narender, who was hit. Ponty tried to flee, but was shot. I opened the car's door and ducked under the car but Hardeep fired at me also. Two shots were fired in my direction. My security guard fired at Hardeep in retaliation," says Namdhari's complaint.

One of the bullets apparently pierced the bonnet of the Land Cruiser which Ponty was in. A few bullets reportedly fired by Namdhari's PSO Sachin Tyagi also hit the two sides of the wall bordering the main gate.

... contd.

ALSO READ

Coal scam: Ashwani Kumar made two 'significant' deletions, says CBI

'Railway official was eyeing lucrative electrical post'

Bansal won't quit, Congress decides to weather new crisis

Sarabjit Singh cremated with state honours