New Twist to White Car Row: Cops Ignored Jail Record, Owner Claims to be Ex-AAP
Delhi Police claimed to have verified the white car for any criminal background or weapons.
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A white Maruti Suzuki Fronx parked in Connaught Place’s A-Block on the evening of October 11 became the centre of a controversy after bystanders and reporters alleged that the vehicle was carrying wooden batons (lathis). The incident took place amid protests and detentions of students, lawyers and journalists across central Delhi since October 10.
Videos of the incident, which circulated widely on social media, showed reporters and members of the public confronting Delhi Police personnel stationed outside the Uniqlo store. “Sir, is gaadi mein dande hain!” (Sir, there are sticks inside this car), people could be heard shouting.
Instead of inspecting the vehicle at the spot, police personnel appeared to clear a path through the crowd and escort the car as it drove away. The incident triggered questions about the police response, particularly amid the ongoing crackdown on protesters in the capital.
Delhi Police subsequently said the vehicle had been taken to a police station for routine verification and had not been allowed to leave without being checked. According to the police, a thorough search was conducted, but nothing illegal, objectionable or resembling a weapon was recovered. The police also said the occupants’ backgrounds had been verified and that they had no criminal records. The vehicle and its occupants were subsequently allowed to leave.
Who Was the Driver?
A closer examination of the videos from Connaught Place helped identify the man driving the white Fronx. Wearing a yellow-and-blue T-shirt, the driver can be seen behind the wheel as the vehicle moves through the crowd.
The man has been identified as Shivam Pratap Singh. His identity was corroborated by a video found on Instagram and shared with The Quint by the car’s owner, Gaurav Pandey, who described it as a response from the driver.
In the video, Singh acknowledges that he was present in Connaught Place on October 11.
Singh regularly posts pro-Hindutva content and Gau Raksha related reels on his Instagram handle and has posted pictures with BJP leaders like T Raja Singh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Manoj Tiwari and Hindu Raksha Dal's Daksh Chaudhary.
Tihar Jail records accessed by The Quint show that Singh has had multiple cases registered against him involving serious offences and had previously been sent there.
According to the records, the first FIR against Singh was registered in August, 2024. The case invoked Sections 131, 196, 299, 351(3) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).
Another case was registered against him in December 2025 under Sections 112, 317(2) and 61(2) of the BNS.
Who is the Car Owner?
Vehicle registration records accessed by The Quint show that the white Maruti Suzuki Fronx, bearing registration number UP 14 HA 4945, is registered in the name of Gaurav Pandey in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. The vehicle also displayed stickers associated with legal bar associations.
Speaking to The Quint over the phone, Pandey denied any malicious intent and said the controversy had arisen from misunderstandings and social media rumours.
Pandey did not deny that lathis were inside the vehicle. Explaining why he kept them in the car, he said, “Yes there were lathis in the car but I generally keep them as I go on walks use them for protection against dogs.”
This account differs from the Delhi Police's statement that a thorough search of the vehicle had been conducted and nothing illegal, objectionable or weapon-like had been recovered.
Pandey also has a criminal case registered against him, according to records accessed by The Quint. In 2021, a case was registered against him under Sections 186, 353, 324 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He was sent to Tihar Jail in connection with the case, the records show.
Pandey confirmed facing a case related to "obstructing a government official".
When asked what had happened in Connaught Place, Pandey argued that it was a public area and that anyone could visit it. He questioned why the occupants of the vehicle should have been prevented from entering the area.
He said that he wasn't there in the car that day and that "it was with Shivam".
Asked why the occupants had not rolled down the windows to clarify the situation when people were shouting allegations at them, Pandey said the windows were closed and the people inside the vehicle had no idea what was being shouted outside.
He added that the occupants were young men who worked for him. According to Pandey, they panicked after seeing the commotion outside and hurriedly drove away from the spot.
Owner Claims Links With AAP, Party Denies
“People are calling the person sitting in the car as BJP goons but I have no associations with BJP, I have been associated with Aam Aadmi Party.”
When asked about his association with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Pandey shared his Instagram handle with The Quint.
On his Instagram page, Pandey has put up pictures with senior AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh and Punjab minister Harjot Singh Bains.
He has claimed to have been associated with AAP in the New Delhi constituency that was earlier represented by Arvind Kejriwal. He also claims to have been part of the party's 'Public Grievance Cell'.
However, there's no documented evidence of Pandey holding any position in AAP.
On being pressed regarding his present connection with AAP, Pandey told The Quint that he isn't associated with the party any more.
The Quint reached out to AAP MP Sanjay Singh for a response. Singh's PA said "anyone can click a photograph" with a leader.
We will update the story when we receive a response.
Who Were the Other Men in the Car?
The driver was not the only occupant whose identity could be established.
Independent news website Newslaundry also identified some of the men associated with the incident. The four individuals identified in connection with the vehicle were Shivam Pratap Singh, Deepak Sisodia, Gaurav Pandey and Pandey's brother, Jai Kishan Pandey.
The Quint has done a detailed story on Deepak Sisodia here.
The identities of the occupants, their past police records and the accounts of the incident raise further questions about the Delhi Police's handling of the matter. While the police said the occupants had been cleared after verification, the records accessed by The Quint indicate that at least two of the individuals associated with the car had previously been booked in criminal cases.
The Quint reached out to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), New Delhi, seeking a response to the findings regarding the occupants' criminal records and the police's handling of the incident. The DCP replied saying he is "on leave".
(Yaqut Ali is an investigative journalist specialising in politics, human rights and accountability. His reporting combines ground investigations, RTIs and multimedia storytelling to uncover facts.)