Former BSP leader's son brandishes gun at Delhi 5-star hotel

The Delhi Police said an FIR has been registered and lookout notice has also been issued. 

The son of a former Bahujan Samaj Party MP was booked for allegedly brandishing a gun at guests and threatening them in the foyer of a five-star hotel in New Delhi, a video of which went viral on social media.

The accused, Ashish Pandey, hails from Lucknow and is the son of former BSP MP Rakesh Pandey. His brother, Ritesh Pandey, is a sitting MLA in Uttar Pradesh.

The Delhi Police said an FIR has been registered under the Arms Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to causing hurt (323), criminal intimidation (506) and using force with the intent to outrage the modesty of a woman (354).

Initially, the case was registered under the Arms Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code were added later, police said, adding that they have also reached out to their Uttar Pradesh counterparts.

“The police have registered a case. We are coordinating with the Uttar Pradesh Police and teams are looking out for him,” Joint Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Ajay Chaudhary said.

WATCH: Ashish Pandey pulls a gun at guests at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in RK Puram

“We have added the relevant sections based on the video. A Look Out Circular has been opened up for him,” he said.

A team of Delhi Police reached Lucknow on Tuesday in connection with the investigation into the incident.

“The Delhi police team has arrived here in connection with investigations in the case and the UP police is extending full cooperation,” Deputy Inspector General (law and order) Pravin Kumar said.

The Delhi Police said the complaint about the incident was received on Monday from the assistant security manager of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in RK Puram.

The Hyatt Regency in Delhi maintained that it is taking the incident “seriously” and will cooperate with the authorities in the investigation.

Latching on to the incident, the Aam Aadmi Party targeted the Centre, which controls the Delhi Police, over the law and order issue in the national capital.

Party spokesperson Dilip Pandey said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre should answer why it has no control over the system, which it supervises through the lieutenant governor, and asked what steps are being taken by police to check growing crime in the city.

BJP Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari said there is evidence in the form CCTV footage of the incident and a proper investigation should be conducted for appropriate action.

After the video of the incident went viral, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said the police had initiated action in the case.

“The Delhi Police has initiated action on this incident which is also being shown in the media. An FIR has been registered under the Arms Act and the IPC. Strong and appropriate action will be taken. Also verifying the identity of others,” the minister tweeted.

Meanwhile, the BSP distanced itself from the controversy.

“Ashish Pandey is not a BSP leader or a member. There is a law and order machinery and action should be taken against anyone who breaks law,” party leader Sudhindra Bhadoria said.

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra also expressed serious concern over the law and order situation in the city following the incident.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, the police said.

In the video, Ashish Pandey can purportedly be seen brandishing a gun in the foyer of the hotel, a police officer said.

One of the victims told a news channel that the accused, who held the gun, walked up to him and hurled abuses.

“A man with a gun hurled abuses at us and walked up threateningly. I was intimidated and scared. The hotel staff was present at the spot. They tried to intervene but could not as they were also scared,” the victim claimed.

Ex-Congress MLA Kanwar Karan Singh said his son, who was shown a gun by Pandey, was in “trauma” after the incident and that was the reason why he did not inform the police.

Singh said his son has recorded his statement with the police and the family had full faith in the law of the land.

Police said the security staff of the hotel told them that the accused and the victims were partying at a nightclub in the hotel.

The victim’s female friend was throwing up in the women’s washroom and he had gone to check on her which is when Pandey’s women friends also came there and started fighting with them, the police said.

They came out and the argument continued, following which Pandey got the gun from his BMW car and threatened the other party.

A woman accompanying the accused abused the victims and called them “transgenders”, a senior officer privy to the probe said.

It is suspected that both the parties involved were drunk at the time of the incident, he said.

“No PCR call was made by any of the parties or even the hotel authorities. It is negligence on part of the hotel as something major could have happened,” another officer privy to the probe said.

“We are exploring legal options in the matter and will also inform our licensing branch that will see what action can be taken against the hotel,” he said.

The officer said after the video went viral, police contacted the hotel authorities and then they lodged the complaint.

“No complaint was lodged by the victim and the hotel staff on the same day. There is negligence on the part of three parties -- the victim, hotel authorities and the accused,” Chaudhary said.

Police said it will be known whether the accused was carrying a licensed weapon or not after he is caught.