New Delhi, November 19
The Delhi Police today said Ponty Chadha’s attempt to seize the property in possession of his yousnger brother Hardeep Chadha led to the bloody gunbattle at their Chattarpur farmhouse on Saturday.

The police has arrested two persons — Madan Rana and Vijay, alias Malik — in connection with a firing incident on November 17 at another property of the Chadha family at southwest Bijwasan and registered a third FIR on charges of firing and trespass at Bijwasan, said Joint Commissioner of Police (South-Western Range) Vivek Gogia. The police has already registered two FIRs into the Chattarpur farmhouse firing.

Ponty Chadha

Around 100 persons have been detained for questioning in connection with the case.

The police officer said Hardeep had reached Chattarpur from Bijwasan after Ponty’s men attacked his associates at Chattarpur, snatched their mobile sets, and confined them in a separate place.

Soon after arriving at the Chattarpur farmhouse, Hardeep fired shots at Ponty.

Two pistols reportedly owned by Hardeep were recovered from the crime scene, Gogia said, adding that the weapons of the Punjab Police security guards attached with Hardeep would be examined in due course.

Questions have been raised as to how Ponty suffered 15 gunshots wounds and from where the fusillade came. Hardeep had suffered six bullet injuries. The FIR based on a complaint by Sukhdev Singh Namdhari, chairman, Uttarakhand Minorities Commission, who was with Ponty at the time of the incident, states that his gunman (Sanjay Tyagi) had shot Hardeep after the latter opened fire at Namdhari.

Sources in the Delhi Police said investigators had detained four Punjab Police personal security officers (PSOs) of Ponty Chadha and Hardeep Singh.

Charanjeet Singh, Superintendent of Police, 9th Battalion, Punjab Police, said six personnel of his unit were attached with Hardeep. Three of them were on leave, while the three others were accompanying Hardeep at the time of the incident. He said one PSO of the same battalion was with Ponty.

“The four PSOs have been detained by the Delhi Police. They have told the investigators that they did not use their firearms,” the SP said.

The Delhi Police seized nine vehicles from the crime scene, including a Mercedes Benz, a Land Cruiser and a couple of motorcycles.

In all, 11 persons were detained from Hardeep’s side, included a Punjab Police ASI and two head constables and security guards, while Ponty’s driver Anand Bisht was also detained.

Nearly 40 empty cartridges were recovered from the scene, while fingerprint and forensic experts were in the process of collecting samples from the scene. 

Punjab Police withdraws security

The six security personnel attached with Hardeep Chadha and one with Ponty Chadha will return to Punjab after the Delhi Police gives them the go-ahead. Their role in the shootout at the Chattarpur farmhouse, in which the Chadha brothers were killed, is under examination though the investigation team has surmised that they did not have any role. P18

Ponty chadha shootout
Family members want a thorough probe
Ajay Banerjee/TNS

The questions the brothers’ family members are asking are: Were the brothers instigated by someone? Who all were present at the spot and how many shots did Hardeep and Ponty allegedly fire at each other?