New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS): A senior Delhi Police officer was aware of the conspiracy being hatched to trespass into a farmhouse in south Delhi where a shootout took place Nov 17, 2012, leading to the death of liquor baron Ponty Chadha and his brother Hardeep, a lawyer told the court Saturday.

Defence lawyer K K. Manan told Additional Sessions Judge Vimal Kumar Yadav that a senior police official was in touch with Hardeep.

However, he did not disclose the name of the officer but claimed that a day before the shootout, on Nov 16, 2012, the police officer had a meeting with Hardeep and a politician who was then a minister.

Concluding the argument on framing of charges, Manan added that there may be a possibility of a conspiracy hatched by Hardeep to trespass into the farmhouse with the connivance of the police and the minister.

Police had alleged that a conspiracy to kill Hardeep was hatched by the then Uttarakhand minorities commission chairman S.S. Namdhari and other accused, arrested in connection with the killing of the Chadha brothers.

The court after hearing the argument, posted to Dec 21 its order on framing of charges against Namdhari and the other 21 accused.

The Crime Branch had arrested Namdhari, his PSO Sachin Tyagi and others for their alleged role in the shootout.

However, the trial against Ponty and Hardeep has been abated as they both died in the shootout.