Skip to main content

Akhilesh government decides to withdraw all cases against Ponty Chadha in UP


The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to withdraw all cases against late liquor baron Ponty Chadha in the state. The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting in Uttar Pradesh. Ponty Chadha, who was the sole liquor distributor in Uttar Pradesh, died after a shootout between him and his brother Hardeep at his farmhouse in Delhi. Hardeep was also killed in the shootout.

Ponty Chadha's other business interests included real estate, sugar mills and film production, which he used to look after along with his two brothers - Hardeep and Rajinder. The business empire was reportedly worth Rs 6,000 crore.

However, no arrests have been made in regard to the double murders case. The police are yet to find significant leads into what led to the shootout. The police have said that a clash between the two brothers had taken place in another farmhouse, located a few kilometers away, on the morning of the shootout.


Ponty was known to be close to the Samajwadi Party but after Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party came to power, he changed his loyalties. His business also flourished during the BSP regime and Ponty floated 16 companies right after Mayawati took over as the chief minister in 2007. These companies were given contracts ranging from real estate to sugar mills to film production and distribution.

After the Samajwadi Party returned to power in March 2012, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said that he would hold a probe against Ponty and his wealth but not much was done following reports that the party had patched up with the controversial businessman. Earlier, in February when Uttar Pradesh was gearing up for Assembly Elections, the Income Tax department had conducted raids at 17 locations across the state and New Delhi including a prime shopping mall - Centrestage Mall in Noida - and farmhouses owned by Ponty. After the searches in February, the Income Tax department had said that it had seized Rs 11 crore in cash, jewellery and fixed deposits and sealed 13 bank lockers. Three months after the raids, an Income Tax official said that Ponty had disclosed an "unrecorded income of Rs 175 crore" to them.
The police are now probing the murders of the two brothers. According to the police, Ponty's men had tried to remove Hardeep's supporters from their farmhouse in Kapashera in southwest Delhi, and that two men had even been arrested for that. The police version has contradicted a claim made by a close relative mediating between the warring brothers who claimed the shootout was not linked to the dispute over the farmhouse. Delhi Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee chief Parminder Singh Sarna, who had mediated, had claimed a settlement had been reached between the brothers.

According to the family, the immediate provocation could be fit of rage and had nothing to do with the farmhouse, but sources say that police continue to maintain that it was the fight for possession of the property which caused the two deaths.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

DPS Ghaziabad sports to the top

he red brick structure of Delhi Public School (DPS) Ghaziabad stands in stark contrast to the dusty road that leads to the school. Located on the Delhi-Meerut highway and spread over 15 acres, the campus offers Wi-Fi facility and is also home to six international-quality cricket pitches,  four basketball courts and a skating rink. The 29-year-old school is naturally one of the popular choices for parents in Ghaziabad. "The school has a unique login ID for each student. This system allows us to be in touch with the progress in the classrooms. The teachers are very tech-savvy and are extremely organised," said Dr Anju Rai, a gynaecologist, whose two sons study in the school. "If my child is unable to attend school, we can access the lessons taught in class through this system." The school has 3,000 students and 160 permanent teachers led by an award-winning principal. "The teacher student ratio is 35:1. This helps us give individualised att...

GDA, builders unite to decongest Raj Nagar Extension

GHAZIABAD: Builders in  Raj Nagar Extension  and the Ghaziabad Development Authority  (GDA) have joined hands to put an end to congestion woes in the area. The move would give a breather to the people commuting through the area and builders believe that this will entice more people into buying a property in the area. "To execute the proposed traffic decongestion plan for NH 58 and other roads in Ghaziabad,  GDA  has decided to complete these works in association with Raj Nagar Extension Developers Association," said Gaurav Gupta, spokesperson of the Association. Mr Gupta added, "The authorities propose to restructure of the NH-58 stretch - from Meerut-crossing (near new bus stand) to ALT-cut."  The builder and GDA team will undertake maintenance of the road and close down illegal cuts on the road (used for taking U-tunr) which have been the main reason behind the mess. The project is already underway and is expected to incur a cost of Rs 2 crore.  The...

Fee hike: Strike called, 128 private schools in Ghaziabad shut today

Independent Schools’ Federation of India is observing a ‘token strike’ on Thursday against the district administration’s order to set up the committee to scrutinise their accounts. The committee is to look into the schools’ accounts and investigate other complaints forwarded by parents and associations. An association of private schools in Ghaziabad has decided to shut nearly 128 schools on Thursday as a mark of protest against the district administration’s decision to set up a committee to inquire into allegations of the unjustified fee hike. The committee comprises the additional district magistrate (finance), district inspector of schools and the basic education officer. The president of the Independent Schools’ Federation of India (ISFI) on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the district officials and said that 128 private schools will observe a ‘token strike’ on Thursday against the district administration’s order to set up the committee. The committee is to look in...