Shaheen Bagh Shooter Kapil Gujjar, His Father Are AAP Members: Delhi Crime Branch

Kapil Gujjar, who fired bullets in the air near Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area, the epicentre of the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protest, and his father are members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) who had joined the party last year, said the Delhi Crime Branch on Tuesday. “In our initial investigation, we have found some photos from Kapil's phone that establish… and he has already disclosed that he and his father had joined the AAP a year ago. We have taken his two-day remand,” said Rajesh Deo, the DCP of Delhi Crime Branch.

#WATCH Rajesh Deo, DCP Crime Branch: In our initial investigation we found some photos from Kapil's phone that establish & he has already disclosed that he & his father joined AAP a year ago. We have taken his 2 days remand. pic.twitter.com/Z78sgdOGPn

— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2020

AAP's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, who can be seen in some of the pictures allegedly retrieved from Kapil Gujjar's mobile phone, accused the BJP of playing "dirty politics" days before the Delhi Assembly elections.

Sources: The Crime Branch has found certain pictures on the mobile phone of Kapil Gujjar, who opened fire in Shaheen Bagh area on February 1. In these pictures, Kapil can be seen with AAP leaders such as Atishi and Sanjay Singh. pic.twitter.com/BKXifhTE7K

— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2020

"Amit Shah is the Home Minister of the country at this time, now just before elections, photos and conspiracies will be found. Three-four days are left for the elections, the BJP will do as much dirty politics as it can. What does having a picture with someone means?" Singh told news agency ANI.

Also Read | Shaheen Bagh Shooting: Delhi Court Sends Accused Kapil Gujjar To Two Days Police Remand

On February 1, Gujjar had fired two rounds in the air at Shaheen Bagh, where anti-CAA protests are being held for over a month now.

'Possibility that firing at Shaheen Bagh part of larger conspiracy'

On Tuesday, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gurmohina Kaur extended by two days police custody of Kapil Gujjar after the Delhi Police told it there was a possibility that the incident was a part of a larger conspiracy.

The police had sought four-day remand of Gujjar, saying the agency only had one day to investigate the matter.

"Time and place of the incident clearly indicate that the incident of using firearms is a part of a larger conspiracy which is to be unearthed. He is associated with different groups on WhatsApp. He is to be interrogated regarding the other members of these groups keeping in view the possibility of larger conspiracy," the investigating officer said.

He further said investigation has revealed that his WhatsApp account was purposely deleted.

"The account has been retrieved and most of the data has been recovered. Due to shortage of time it could not be analysed. The data is bulky in nature and he needs to be confronted with it," the police said.

Also Read | WATCH | Shaheen Bagh Protest: What Did Kapil Gujjar Say After Firing Bullets

It added that Gujjar also needs to be confronted with his friend who had accompanied him to the site of the incident.

“His friend is being interrogated at length in order to ascertain his involvement. Data in his friend's phone is also being scrutinised. The investigation is at an initial stage. The case is very serious and sensitive in nature which requires in-depth interrogation of the accused.

“Also, Gujjar needs to be confronted with his friend. The motive of firing needs to be ascertained. He is changing his version and not cooperating with the investigating agency. Identity of the supplier of the recovered firearm is yet to be ascertained. He is misguiding the agency by changing his versions regarding supplier again and again," the probe agency said.

Advocates MS Sisodia and Akhil Rexwal, appearing for Gujjar, opposed the remand plea saying the probe agency has seized his mobile and all other relevant materials required for the investigation.

“The offences are bailable in nature. What will they do with my WhatsApp chats? What links do they want to establish? Where else do they need to take me," Sisodia asked.

After being overpowered by police personnel, he had chanted "Jai Shri Ram" and said, "hamare desh me aur kisi ki nahi chalegi, sirf Hinduon ki chalegi (only Hindus shall have a say in our country, no one else)," as he was taken into custody by the Delhi Police.

This was the second such incident reported from Shaheen Bagh in a span of three days. A man had fired from a pistol on a group of anti-CAA protesters in the area on Thursday, injuring a student of the Jamia Millia Islamia University.

Meanwhile, the court also sent a wrestler arrested for supplying a weapon to the juvenile who had opened fire on anti-CAA protesters outside Jamia Millia Islamia last week, to fourteen days' judicial custody.

The police told the court that they have recovered a country-made pistol and two live cartridges from Ajeet Singh and case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Arms Act.

On January 30, the juvenile had fired at a group of anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protesters outside the Jamia Millia Islamia injuring a student.

The Juvenile Justice Board had earlier sent the juvenile to 14 days' protective custody.