2012 farmhouse shootout: court orders framing of charges

A Delhi court today ordered framing of charges against sacked Uttarakhand minorities panel chief S S Namdhari and 19 others who were arrested in connection with the killing of liquor baron Ponty Chadha and his brother Hardeep in a 2012 shootout at a farmhouse here.
Additional Sessions Judge Vimal Kumar Yadav said the formal order in this regard will be passed on Wednesday and detail charges will be framed on January 29.
"Whatever charges the prosecution has proposed will be by and large framed against the accused," the court said.
On December 21 last year, the court had reserved the order for today after arguments on framing of charges were concluded by the Delhi Police and 20 accused.

Altogether, 22 persons were charge sheeted for offences including attempt to murder, causing grievous harm, dacoity, rioting with deadly weapons, house trespass, kidnapping, illegal confinement and destruction of evidence.
However, the trial against Hardeep, against whom a separate FIR was lodged in the case, and Ponty has abated as they died in the shootout.
The charges of criminal conspiracy, common intention and those under the Arms Act were also levelled against all the 22 accused, including Ponty, for trying to take over the disputed farmhouse from the possession of Hardeep.
Ponty and Hardeep, who allegedly had a property dispute, were killed in a shootout at a Chhattarpur farmhouse here on November 17, 2012.