The police have seized the gun and vehicle of Ashish Pandey on Thursday
Highlights
- Ashish Pandey was seen waving a gun during a fight at a Delhi hotel
- He later surrendered at a court, claiming he was the one being threatened
- Police recovered the gun being waved and the car that he was driving
The gun and vehicle of Ashish Pandey, son of a former BSP lawmaker, was seized by the police from his family home in Lucknow on Thursday. Two days after waving a gun, during a fight, at Delhi's Hyatt Regency Hotel, Mr Pandey surrendered at a city court yesterday, claiming that he was the one who was being threatened and the weapon in his hand was meant for "safety".
The three women, who were with Mr Pandey seen in the video, allegedly egging him to threaten the woman and her male friend during a fight at the hotel, have been identified but it is not clear whether they have left the country. The team investigating the case is in touch with the Foreigner Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) to find out their whereabouts say police sources.
"The weapon used in the incident has been recovered and seized. The vehicle used has also been seized by the police in Lucknow. The identities of the three women have been ascertained and their role is being verified," said the Delhi Police in a statement.
The statement of Mr Pandey, who is in one-day police custody, has been recorded and the sequence of events as narrated by him is being verified. In a video after surrendering, Mr Pandey said that he did not "brandish" the gun. "It was hanging behind me all the time. I didn't even address that girl; she pushed me and made obscene hand gestures," he said.
On October 14, a video of Mr Pandey flashing a gun at a hotel went viral. The fight started in the hotel's ladies' toilet. Gaurav Singh, the son of a former Congress lawmaker Mr Pandey was seen threatening, had accompanied his woman friend to the restroom. An argument started when the three other women, who were with Mr Pandey, also entered the restroom.
Over 50 people, including Mr Pandey's father, uncle and 12 employees of Hyatt Regency, were interrogated by the police and all offices and homes of the family members and friends in Lucknow and eastern Uttar Pradesh have been searched.