Delhi hotel brawl: Gun brandished by Ashish Pandey recovered

The weapon and vehicle used by Ashish Pandey, son of former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator Rakesh Pandey, during a brawl outside a five-star hotel in the national capital have been recovered by the Delhi Police.

The Delhi Police on Thursday issued a statement and informed that the identities of three women allegedly involved in the case have been ascertained and their role is being verified. Ashish, who hails from Lucknow, has been booked under the Arms Act.

"The weapon used in the incident has been recovered and seized. The vehicle used has also been seized by the police in Lucknow. The identities of the three women have been ascertained and their role is being verified," the Delhi Police said.

It added that the disclosure statement of Pandey has been recorded, and the sequence of events as narrated by him is being verified.

According to a senior police official, the investigating team of Delhi Police is trying to ascertain information from the Foreigner Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) about when the three women present at the time of the incident left India.

Ashish was sent to a day's remand on Thursday in connection with the hotel brawl case. He was formally arrested by the Delhi police after he surrendered before the Patiala House Court on the same day.

Ashish had earlier claimed that he did not brandish his gun in the premises of Hyatt Hotel and carried it only for safety purposes.

"I took the gun with me for safety. I didn't brandish it. It was hanging behind me all the time. I didn't even address that girl; she pushed me and made obscene hand gestures," he said.

On Wednesday, Delhi's Patiala House Court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Ashish over a brawl with Kanwar Gaurav - son of ex-Congress MLA Kanwar Karan Singh.

Over 50 persons, including Ashish's father, uncle and 12 employees of hotel Hyatt Regency, were interrogated in the matter and a search was underway in all known hideouts, offices, and residences of Ashish, his family members and friends in Lucknow and eastern Uttar Pradesh.