E-Paper
Shaheen Bagh shooter’s father, brother join probe
New Delhi:
New Delhi:
The father and brother of 23-year-old Kapil Gujjar, arrested for firing near the Shaheen Bagh protest venue last Saturday, on Friday joined the probe after avoiding it for almost four days despite being served two notices, officials privy to the investigation said.
Officials said Gujjar’s father Choudhary Gaje Singh, a former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader, and brother Sachin were questioned for almost six hours at the crime branch office in Kotwali to ascertain if they allegedly were part of any lager conspiracy behind the firing incident.
The two were asked why they did not turn up for the investigation.
Singh was asked why he denied being a “member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)” despite images retrieved from Gujjar’s phone showed him wearing the party’s cap and scarf and standing with senior party leaders, said an investigator, who asked not be identified.
“Singh told the investigators he was avoiding the probe because he feared the media would ask him uncomfortable questions and it would damage his reputation in the society. He did not give any satisfactory repose on his whereabouts and whether any political party was helping him,” the investigator said.
Another investigator said both Singh and Sachin denied having any knowledge about Gujjar’s firing plans and claimed they were unaware that he had been hiding the countrymade pistol at home for the past seven years.
“The two denied deleting Gujjar’s WhatsApp account, images and videos from his cellphone, which was recovered from their home after his arrest,” the officer added.
According to a senior crime branch officer, Singh and Sachin were made to sign a bond that they will appear before the investigators whenever called to join the probe.
On Wednesday, Gujjar’s police custody was extended for two days after the investigating team informed the court that he had not been cooperating in the probe and misleading police about the password of his social media accounts and the source of the gun.
