Ex-BSP MP's son Ashish Pandey who brandished gun at Delhi's five-star hotel remanded to one-day police custody

Ashish Pandey had surrendered before Delhi's Patiala House Court on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: Former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Rakesh Pandey's son Ashish, who had brandished a pistol at guests and threatened them at Delhi’s five-star Hyatt Regency Hotel in a viral video, was formally arrested by Delhi Police minutes after he surrendered before a court here.

Delhi's Patiala House Court, which allowed Ashish's plea for surrender, granted 20 minutes to Delhi Police for interrogating him in connection with the case.

Delhi Police formally arrests Ashish Pandey for brandishing a gun outside Hyatt Regency on October 14, seeks police remand for him. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/xMTDZqsV28 — ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2018

The court later remanded Ashish to one-day police custody.

Court grants one-day police remand to #AshishPandey. Delhi Police had sought 4 days custodial remand. Ashish Pandey was seen brandishing a gun outside Hyatt Regency on October 14 & surrendered before the police today. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/Lh7D1LyqJT

— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2018

Delhi Police had earlier moved a plea seeking 4-day custody of the accused. 

Ashish had been on the run after a video showing him brandishing a gun and threatening guests, including Gaurav Kanwar, son of a former Congress MLA, outside Hyatt Regency Hotel on October 14 went viral.

A surrender application, filed through lawyer SPM Tripathi claimed that Pandey, the son of former BSP lawmaker Rakesh Pandey, has been wrongly framed in the FIR and subjected to a media trial.

It further said Pandey is ready to submit before the court voluntarily and the police may be directed to take him into custody if required.

Earlier while speaking to ANI, Ashish had claimed that he did not threaten anyone and he was being framed in the case. 

“I’m being projected like I’m a wanted terrorist and police across the nation is looking for me. Look Out Circular has been issued against me. If you check CCTV footage, you’ll find who went to ladies toilet that night and who threatened whom,”'Ashish said.

I'm being projected like I'm a wanted terrorist & police across the nation is looking for me. Look Out Circular has been issued against me. If you check CCTV footage, you'll find who went to ladies toilet that night & who threatened whom: #AshishPandey pic.twitter.com/Sg1JuMvJsH — ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2018

He further said, “I took the gun with me for safety. I didn’t brandish it. It was hanging behind me all the time. I didn’t even address that girl, she pushed me&made obscene hand gestures. I’ve faith in judiciary&so I decided to surrender. There is no history of the police case against me.”

I took the gun with me for safety.I didn't brandish it. It was hanging behind me all the time. I didn't even address that girl, she pushed me&made obscene hand gestures. I've faith in judiciary&so I decided to surrender. There is no history of police case against me:#AshishPandey pic.twitter.com/W30ogWtGF8 — ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2018

An FIR under the Arms Act and various sections of the IPC, including those related to causing hurt (323), criminal intimidation (506) and using force with the intent to outrage the modesty of a woman (354), was registered against Ashish Pandey. 

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

A video of the incident that occurred early on Sunday went viral on social media resulting in public outrage. 

It prompted the police to step in and launch a massive hunt for the accused who had gone missing after the incident. 

(With PTI Inputs)