Gun-toting ex-MP’s son surrenders

| | NEW DELHI
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Gun-toting ex-MP’s son surrenders

Friday, 19 October 2018 | Staff Reporter | NEW DELHI

Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Thursday accepted the surrender plea submitted by Ashish Pandey, who was seen brandishing a gun and threatening a man at a five-star hotel in Delhi. Pandey, who is the son of former BSP MP Rakesh Pandey, was missing since October 14 when the incident occurred at Hyatt Regency.

Metropolitan Magistrate Neetu Sharma’s court considered rival submissions and allowed the Delhi Police to quiz Pandey in custody for one day.

During the 20-minute hearing, the counsel representing  police said the accused is from Lucknow. “Weapon has to be recovered to verify whether he has a licence for the gun or not. His custody is required to know the whereabouts of other accused and to recover the weapon,” said the counsel.

Whereas, advocate SPM Tripathi, appearing for Pandey, said the custodial interrogation was not required as police already knew that he possessed a licensed gun and he was being framed only because his father was a politician.

“Police are well aware that the gun is licensed. We are ready to provide the gun. There are no cases registered against Pandey. This is only because the father of the accused was a politician and the incident was hyped by media.

No notice was served to the accused and non-bailable warrant issued against Pandey is mala fide. Four-day police custody is not required,” the counsel contested.

The court had on Wednesday issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Ashish for brandishing a pistol at guests and threatening them in the foyer of Hyatt hotel.

Ashish’s  counsel had on Wednesday approached the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Dharmender Singh and moved an application seeking to surrender. However, since the magistrate concerned was on leave, the plea, seeking judicial nod to surrender to Ashish was referred to another link judge who was hearing urgent matters of other courts whose presiding officers were on leave.

Prior to surrendering in the court on Thursday, Ashish had released a video on social sites in which he claimed that the  CCTV footage of the events that took place inside the hotel should be examined. He claimed that he was threatened but does not mention any name. He proceeds to say that statements from the security personnel as well as the staff of the hotel should be taken to find out what actually happened.

 “I admit that I did take the gun while getting down from the car for my safety. I didn’t brandish it. It was hanging behind me all the time. There have been allegations that I had threatened that girl. I didn’t even address that girl, she pushed me and made obscene hand gestures. I will share the details with the cops in my statement. I have faith in the judiciary and so I have decided to surrender. There is no history of any police case against me,” said Ashish in the video.

A video of the incident that occurred early on October 14 had gone viral on social media resulting in public outrage. It prompted the police to step in and launch a hunt for the accused who had gone missing after the incident.

An FIR was filed on October 16 at RK Puram police station under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Arms Act relating to criminal intimidation and misuse of fire arms.

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