The Delhi Police Crime Branch on Sunday told a court here that its investigation has revealed that sacked Uttarakhand Minority Commission chairman Sukhdev Singh Namdhari had purchased many properties in Haldwani, Nainital and Rudrapur in Uttarakhand in slain liquor baron Ponty Chadha’s name and in the names of both their relatives without the knowledge of Ponty’s brother, Hardeep. During the last hearing on Thursday, the police had alleged that Namdhari “intentionally killed” Hardeep by firing at him during the shoot-out at the Chadhas’ disputed South Delhi farmhouse.
On Sunday, the court remanded Namdhari to three more days in police custody. Police claimed that Namdhari has agreed to accompany them to Punjab to apprehend seven alleged associates of his who have purportedly fled to Ludhiana, Gurdaspur and Amritsar. The police also told the court that Namdhari has also been booked for destruction of evidence. A few days ago, the murder charge was added to the ambit of the probe.
Regarding the properties purchased in Uttarakhand, police claimed that Namdhari has disclosed that he can identify the relatives in whose names the properties were purchased and the related documents.
In its remand application, police told the court that after shooting Hardeep, Namdhari “handed over the pistol and remaining cartridges” to Satnam alias Satte through Sachin, his PSO, and another man, Sonu, with the direction that the pistol be taken back to his native place. The police claimed that Satnam “got the pistol cleaned through a person known to him in order to destroy evidence”.
The police claimed that the pistol and rounds have been recovered.
The police alleged that it was Namdhari who ordered his seven associates to flee and hide in Ludhiana, Gurdaspur and Amritsar. The seven alleged associates are Hardayal Singh, Simranjeet Singh alias Lada, Satnam Singh alias Satte, Jasbir Singh alias Sonu, Balwinder Singh alias Bhullar alias Bittoo, Balkar Singh alias Ballu, and Baaj Singh.
The police claimed that Namdhari has played a “vital role in the conspiracy” with the other co-accused who acted on his instructions but that investigations were still at an initial stage.
Seeking police custody, police said that Namdhari had allegedly disclosed that he can accompany police to the hideout of these seven men and can get all “dandas, baseball bats, and rifle weapons recovered at his instance”.
Further, Namdhari had to be confronted with mobile call detail records to uncover the alleged conspiracy behind Hardeep’s killing, the police said.
