Feud over ownership of one farmhouse behind deaths of Ponty Chadha, brother

Their family apparently owns more than a dozen farmhouses, spread over a sprawling 12-acre radius, in south Delhi's Mehrauli. Jatin Anand reports.

Their family apparently owns more than a dozen farmhouses, spread over a sprawling 12-acre radius, in south Delhi's Mehrauli.

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On Saturday morning, however, what was meant to be the resolution of a two-month-old dispute emanating from something as seemingly innocuous as an intra-family feud over the ownership of just one of the dozen properties, ended in the death of the two claimants.

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"They were supposed to meet and iron out their differences over who would own the farmhouse. There were arguments over it regularly since neither of them saw eye to eye on the issue. We're shocked at what has happened," said a close relative of liquor baron Ponty Chadha, requesting anonymity.

Registered in their father, Kulwant Singh Chadha's name, the palatial farmhouse with the red, domed roof located at 42, Central Drive in DLF Chhatarpur, became the last battleground for the two brothers.

In fact, police sources claimed, the beginning of the end had materialised as early as Friday evening during Ponty's first alleged attempt at forcibly occupying the said farmhouse which Hardeep had 'won' in a court case

"Between 11:30 pm and midnight, Ponty and Hardeep's men had clashed at the same spot when the former had reached to lock it down. However, the local police intervened and both parties consented to sort the issue on Saturday," said an officer.

Sources said, Ponty refused to let the court verdict from impeding his ambition of ownership.

He apparently imposed his decision to sell the contentious farmhouse on Hardeep and decided to get it renovated before the potential sale.

"Hardeep retaliated by staying at the farmhouse on a regular basis. But Ponty was getting restless and even met some senior police officers to seek guidance on the issue. But he decided to forcibly occupy the property instead of listening to their advice of solving the issue amicably," the officer said.