Court dismisses Ashish Pandey''s bail plea, sent to judicial custody

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 19

Court today dismissed the bail application of former BSP MP's son Ashish Pandey, arrested for brandishing a gun outside a five star hotel and sent him to a judicial custody till Monday.

Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Anand also rejected Delhi Police's plea seeking Pandey's custody for two more days after he was produced in the court following his one day custodial interrogation.

Dismissing the bail plea, the court said the "arrogance" and "high-headedness" of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader's son can be clearly made out from the contents of the first information report.

Pandey was seen brandishing a gun outside the Hyatt Regency hotel in the national capital on October 14. He was formally arrested by the police following his surrender before the court on Thursday.

Police told the court that it wanted further custody of Pandey to determine if there were any financial transactions that took place between him and the three women accompanying him on the night of the incident.

They also wanted to ascertain the people Pandey met during the period he was absconding as they might have helped him, the police said.

Pandey's counsel S P N Tripathy argued that the incident happened at the spur of the moment and his client was entitled to keep a weapon for his safety and those around him.

Tripathy said Pandey only brought the weapon from the car because he felt threatened and for the safety of the women around him but he had enough self control to not use it.