Ponty Chadha killing: Notice to accused on police plea

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Tuesday issued notice to all the 21 accused involved in the killing of liquor baron Ponty Chadha and his brother Hardeep on the plea of city police, challenging the trial court`s order of dropping murder charges against them.

Justice Indermeet Kaur sought responses from Uttarakhand minorities panel`s sacked chairman S.S. Namdhari and 20 other accused by Sep 4. The trial court had dropped murder charges against all the accused, saying that the Nov 17, 2012, shootout that resulted in the killing of Ponty and Hardeep "seems to be an event which happened suddenly and unexpectedly". However, it has added charges related to culpable homicide not amounting to murder against Namdhari and his personal security officer Sachin Tyagi. The remaining 19 accused were charged under attempt to murder in connection with the incident. Ponty Chadha and his brother were killed at a farmhouse in Chhattarpur in south Delhi in a shootout Nov 17, 2012, allegedly over a property dispute. Delhi Police had filed two charge sheets in the case and levelled murder charges against 21 accused. Ponty and Hardeep were also charge sheeted in the case, but the trial against the brothers has been abated as they both died in the shootout.