2012 shootout: 'Hardeep and others conspired to kill Ponty'

Sacked Uttarakhand minorities panel chief S S Namdhari and 21 others today claimed before a court here that liquor baron Ponty Chadha's younger brother Hardeep conspired with one senior Delhi police official and a Congress MLA to take possession of the farmhouse where the two brothers were killed.
Namdhari and others, arrested in connection with killing of Ponty and his brother in a shootout last year, submitted before Additional Sessions Judge Vimal Kumar Yadav during arguments on framing of charges that Hardeep had hatched a conspiracy to kill and take the farmhouse in his possession.
Advocate K K Manan, the counsel for some of the accused said, "prior to the incident, on November 16, 2012 night, Hardeep, one high officer of Delhi police (Joint CP level) and a senior minister of Congress were present in the meeting called by Ponty's brother."

The counsel further said the whole conspiracy was hatched on that night when these three and a few others were present.
He also said the call details of Hardeep showed that he was in touch with that minister regularly. The Delhi police official was aware of each and every movement of Hardeep.
The counsel, however, did not name the official saying their names will be disclosed during the trial.

Earlier during the probe last year, the investigators had said Hardeep had a close relationship with at least two ministers in Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's cabinet.
Police sources had said that from the call records the then Delhi's Urban Development Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely was in touch with Hardeep.

The counsel also claimed the farmhouse was in the name of Ponty as the bills were paid from his company account, which has his name.
The counsel for Delhi police had claimed before the court that all the 22 accused had conspired together to kill Ponty's brother.
The court had earlier fixed today to pronounce order on framing of charges against the accused but the defence counsel requested the judge to allow fresh arguments.
The court has now reserved the order for December 21 on framing of charges.