Hotel brawl: Search for Ashish Pandey on, gun license to be canceled

Uttar Pradesh's Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Anand Kumar on Wednesday informed that search and investigation by Delhi and Uttar Pradesh police are being carried out to arrest Ashish Pandey who is allegedly involved in the Hyatt hotel brawl case. The procedure for canceling his weapon license has also been initiated.

Speaking to ANI, Kumar said, "In Ashish Pandey case, the Delhi Police team has reached Lucknow and we are extending complete cooperation to them. Raids are being conducted at all his possible locations. Two-three teams are working on this case in coordination with the Delhi Police. UP Special Task Force (STF) team is also (working) on the case, and we are trying to track him. As of now, he hasn't been arrested and we are trying our best that if he is in Uttar Pradesh he should be apprehended without any further delay."

He also informed that procedure for canceling gun license has been initiated in the district from where the weapon license was issued. He said, "There is one licensed pistol under his name which was issued in 1999 from district Ambedkar Nagar. But as of now, we cannot ascertain with complete conformity whether it was the same gun that was brandished in Hyatt hotel. However, prima facie considering the violation of Arms Act provisions, the district administration of Ambedkar Nagar has started the procedure for terminating his gun license."

On Tuesday, the Delhi Police took suo moto cognizance of a video in which a man, later identified as Ashish Pandey, was seen brandishing a gun in Hyatt hotel in the national capital. The Delhi Police interrogated a person who was with the accused when the incident took place and a show cause notice was also issued to the hotel seeking to know the reason for the delay in informing the police about the incident.