Sacked Uttarakhand official may have tried to change gun codes

Sacked Uttarakhand minorities commission chairman Sukhdev Singh Namdhari is suspected to have destroyed evidence against him after he was allegedly let off by the south district police despite being a key eyewitness in the Chhatarpur shootout case. According to sources, Namdhari was allowed to go to Uttarakhand two days after the shootout. In his home state, Namdhari got his gun tampered through his local accomplices, sources said.

“Initially he was a complainant and allowed to leave the city. The gun we have recovered appears to have been tampered with. It might weaken our case in the court,” said a crime branch officer. Sources said Namdhari either got the code of his licensed gun encrypted on another similar gun or changed the code of his gun.

“If that is the case, then the ballistic report will say no bullets were fired from the recovered gun. There is also a possibility that he got the code of his gun changed through some local mechanic. Even then, the report will not match. Our suspicion is based on the fact that we have detained a mechanic at Rampur in Uttarakhand who used to illegally change the codes of guns. We are questioning him,” he added. 

Experts pointed out that every gun has a unique code and from the records of the licensing authority and reports of ballistic experts, it can be matched whether the bullets found from the spot were fired by that particular gun. 

“If our suspicions are found to be true, Namdhari will be booked for destruction of evidence. Currently, the picture is very hazy and the man, who has been detained, holds the key,” he added.

Namdhari is in Uttarakhand with the Delhi Police for the past two days and raids have been conducted at Rudrapur, Bazpur and Rampur. He along with the police team has been given protection.

HT