New Delhi: Family of Shaheen Bagh shooter Kapil Gujjar has denied links of any of its members being connected with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
This came after the Crime Branch of Delhi Police revealed that Kapil Gujjar is associated with the AAP based on photographs recovered from his phone in which Gujjar and his father are seen along with prominent leaders of the party.
"AAP has nothing to do with anyone from my family. They came to us during Lok Sabha elections. They made us wear AAP caps. I was in BSP in 2012. Later, I quit politics," Gaje Singh, Kapil's father told ANI.
The photos, recovered from phone of the Kapil, show him and his father Gaje Singh with AAP leaders such as Atishi and Sanjay Singh and are allegedly from 2019 on the day when the father-son duo joined AAP.
"AAP came to our village during Lok Sabha elections. They gave us AAP caps as respect. We have nothing to do with AAP and neither are we a member of it. We are being defamed," Kapil's brother said.
Commenting on the controversy, Kapil's uncle Ajab Singh also echoed similar view and said: "No one from our family is a member of AAP. An issue is being made out of this to target Kapil. BJP wants to win the election. He has nothing to do with any party."
CP Crime Branch, Delhi Police, Rajesh Deo said Kapil, at the beginning of the investigation, had disclosed the fact that he had joined AAP in 2019 but added that the influence of any politicians on Kapil would become clear only after further investigations.
Kapil, according to the official, had told the Crime Branch that he had brought the pistol almost seven years ago for celebratory firing during his brother's wedding.
Earlier today, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gurmohina Kaur sent Kapil, who is a resident of Dallupura village near Delhi-Noida border, to two-day police custody.
Kapil was detained by police on Saturday following the firing incident and an FIR was registered against him. He had, on February 1, opened fire in the air at Shaheen Bagh, where protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are going on for over 50 days.
Give strict punishment if he has AAP links: Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that the BJP is using Delhi Police against his party, a day after cops said that the Shaheen Bagh shooter has links with the AAP, and called for strict punishment to the accused.
"BJP has left with nothing. They have nothing to counter the workers done by the AAP government in Delhi. All parties came together to beat Kejriwal. Later, they started saying Kejriwal is terrorist, traitor and anti-worker. It all did not work. So they started using the Delhi Police. Do we have the power to do such a thing (shooting)? Do we do such type of work?" Kejriwal told ANI.
"Kapil's family has said they have nothing to do with AAP. Anyone can get their pictures clicked with someone. I say he should get strict punishment. If he has any link with AAP, then he should be given harshest punishment. Forty-eight hours before polling, Amit Shah is using police to do such petty conspiracies. The entire country knows they are doing a political stunt," he said.
His remarks came after the Crime Branch of Delhi Police revealed that Kapil Gujjar is associated with the AAP, based on photographs recovered from his phone in which he and his father are seen with prominent leaders of the party.
