Former Uttarakhand minorities commission chairman Sukhdev Singh Namdhari shot dead liquor baron Ponty Chadha's brother Hardeep Singh, Delhi Police crime branch told a city court on Thursday. Metropolitan magistrate Gaurav Rao sent Namdhari to police custody till December 2 for further interrogation after the crime branch said he has been formally booked for murder following eyewitnesses’ inputs.

Initially, police had arrested him for trespass and attempt to murder on the basis of “disclosure” made by Bhupinder Singh Bisht, another accused, who was Ponty’s personal security officer.

Police said they need Namdhari to recover various weapons used in the shootout, which are believed to be hidden at his farmhouse. “I am satisfied that to unearth the entire conspiracy... it is a fit case for grant of three days of police custody,” the judge said.