Gujjar bought gun 7 years ago for ‘celebratory firing’ during brother’s wedding

New Delhi: Twenty-three year old Kapil Gujjar, who on Saturday opened fire less than 150 metres away from the Shaheen Bagh protest site, has told investigators he

New Delhi: Twenty-three year old Kapil Gujjar, who on Saturday opened fire less than 150 metres away from the Shaheen Bagh protest site, has told investigators he purchased the country made pistol seven years ago for “celebratory firing” during his brother’s wedding. He, however, claimed that he does not remember the name of the person from whom he purchased it, or how much he paid, the police said on Sunday.

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“Gujjar revealed that he had last used the pistol for celebratory firing at his brother’s wedding. Thereafter, he hid it in his home and did not use it before Saturday. He is not giving any satisfactory response on how he procured three bullets, and who the person was from whom he bought the pistol,” said an investigator who did not want to be identified.

Gujjar’s father, Choudhary Gaje Singh, claimed that he and his family members were unaware that he had the pistol.

The police on Sunday produced Gujjar before an additional chief metropolitan magistrate and secured his police custody for two days, after telling the magistrate he needed to be interrogated to identify and arrest the person who gave him the gun. Later in the day, the case was transferred to the crime branch, to whom Gujjar was handed for further questioning.

Investigators said that though Gujjar denied having links with any political parties or any fringe group, they still suspect he may have been instigated by someone to carry out the shooting. They believe Gujjar may have been motivated by the Thursday’s firing incident outside the nearby Jamia Millia Islamia, where a 17-year-old boy fired at protesters, injuring a student of the university.

Gujjar has reportedly told the interrogators that the Shaheen Bagh protests had been affecting his milk supply business, as he had to spend two or three hours a day in long traffic jams, and was not able to supply milk to his customers on time as result.

“The man claims that his business was hit and he was suffering losses as on several occasions the milk was spoiled because of the delay,” said a police officer privy to the investigation.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Kumar Gyanesh said Gujjar’s interrogation revealed that he reached Shaheen Bagh in an auto-rickshaw. Asked how Gujjar managed to reach near the protest venue with a gun despite heavy police deployment, Gyanesh said, “He walked through sub-lanes to reach there.”

On Saturday, as he was being detained by the police, the man was caught on camera saying, “No other community will have a say in this country. Only Hindus will.”