Kapil Gujjar being taken away by police from Shaheen Bagh protest site on February 1 | India Today

Shaheen Bagh shooter Kapil Gujjar admitted to the Delhi Police that he joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in early 2019. The Delhi Police also recovered photos of Kapil Gujjar with several senior leaders of the AAP from his mobile phone.

The revelation has been made by the Crime Branch of Delhi which is interrogating Kapil Gujjar who fired shots at Shaheen Bagh earlier this week.

However, the AAP has denied any link with shooter Kapil Gujjar.

Kapil Gujjar also revealed that his father Gaje Singh was also an AAP member and that both he and his father joined the party in 2019.

Kapil Gujjar's father had earlier contested the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) election in 2012 on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket.

In the photos, accessed from the phone, Kapil Gujjar can be seen with senior leaders of the AAP like Sanjay Singh and Aatishi along with his supporters.

Crime Branch of Delhi has reportedly also told the court about this connection between Kapil Gujjar, his father, and the Aam Aadmi Party.

One of the photos recovered from Kapil Gujjar's mobile phone

Kapil Gujjar had come to Shaheen Bagh area, where thousands are sitting on a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), on February 1 and fired two rounds in the air. Kapil Gujjar was arrested and taken into custody right after that.

Meanwhile, Sanjay Singh of the AAP has denied any connection with Kapil Gujjar and said, "There is no point in releasing such photographs. This is part of BJP's [Bharatiya Janata Party] dirty politics. Crime should be investigated and stern action should be taken against the culprit."

Rajesh Deo, DCP Crime Branch told ANI, "We recovered the pictures from his phone during the course of the investigation. Kapil has confessed that he and his father joined the AAP somewhere between January-February, 2019."

"Investigation has not been completed, photos have not been investigated and a police officer is taking a party's name at a time when the Model Code of Conduct [MCC] is in place. Tomorrow, we will complain to Election Commission the [EC] against Rajesh Deo," AAP leader Sanjay Singh said.

"Tomorrow, a legal notice will be sent to this officer [Rajesh Deo, DCP Crime Branch] and also we will complaint to the Election Commission of India about with whose permission did he take the party's name and on what basis did he do it," AAP MP Sanjay Singh said while addressing a press conference.

"BJP spokesperson Rajesh Deo, who is by mistake the DCP of Crime Branch is giving statements," Sanjay Singh added.

"Let us first enquire whether they [accused shooter and his father] are part of the party or whether they were part of the party and then joined any other party after it. I do not now their status, let us check it first," Sanjay Singh said.

KAPIL GUJJAR'S FAMILY REFUTES CLAIM

Kapil Gujjar's father and brother said that he did not join the AAP party. They said that the news that is being quoted by the police in the media is wrong.

Kapil Gujjar's uncle Fatesh Singh told PTI, "I have no idea where these photographs are circulating from. My nephew Kapil had no association with any political party nor does any other member from the family. My brother, Gaje Singh, fought Assembly elections in 2008 on a Bahujan Samaj Party ticket and lost. After that no one from our family had any links with any political party."

Kapil Gujjar's uncle added that Kapil also doesn't have friends associated with the AAP or any other political party.