Nainital HC taking suo-motto cognizance, ask Haridwar administration to come up with criminal history details of both Kunwar Pranav Champion and MLA Umesh. J . Kumar

Nainital HC taking suo-motto cognizance, ask Haridwar administration to come up with criminal history details of both Kunwar Pranav Champion and MLA Umesh. J . Kumar
S.M.A.KAZMI
Dehradun , Jan 28
In an important development, Nainital High Court taking suo motto cognizance of the ‘street fight’ between two political leaders namely former BJP legislator Kunwar Pranav Champion and sitting independent legislator Umesh.J.Kumar, similar to seen in badlands of Bihar and in bollywood movies, have called Haridwar District Magistrate and police chief to be personally present on the court on January 30, 2025.
Issuing notices to these officers, Justice Rakesh Thapliyal directed them to come with all the evidences of the incident on January 26 where both the leaders attacked each others,firing and abusing each other. The judge asked the officials to come up with all the video footage, cuttings of newspapers related to the incident and footage of audio-visual media and photographs with them.
The court also directed the Haridwar officials to come up with all the evidences of the dispute between the two alleged accused, the criminal cases pending against both in the courts and list of weapons they and their family members own.
The order has created a stir amongst the district and state government officials.While, Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days by the local court, Umesh.J.Kumar has been given bail. This has also led to consternation amongst the Gujjar community to which KunWar Pranav Singh Champion belong. The Gujjar community had proposed to hold their caste panchayat at Roorkee on January 29, 2025.
Interestingly, on Republic Day , the scenes were straight from Bollywood thriller ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ in which the gang rivalries were explicitly depicted in the badlands of Bihar in reel life. But what transpired in ‘Devbhoomi’ Uttarakhand that too in the Hindu holy district of Haridwar on republic Day was real where two political leaders, one a sitting independent legislator and another a former BJP MLA attacked each other’s offices and residence with guns, goons and free use of filthy expletives on Sunday evening at Roorkee. The skirmishes between the two infamous political leaders of Haridwar district are being dubbed as “Gangs of Khanpur” on social and news media of Uttarakhand since one is the sitting independent legislator from Khanpur assembly segment of Haridwar while another is former legislator and scion of the erstwhile state of Landhoura.
Both the leaders, sitting independent legislator Umesh J.Kumar, a former journalist and former BJP legislator Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion were arrested by Haridwar police and produced before judicial magistrate at Roorkee, today. While,Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days, the sitting legislator Umesh.J.Kumar was granted bail in the matter. The rivalry between the two which started during state assembly polls of 2022 when Umesh J,Kumar as an independent won from the home constituency of Kunwar Pranav Champion of Khanpur in Haridwar district. Kunwar Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ from the royal house of Landhoura,is infamous for his rough ways and language was unable to digest his electoral defeat. Both the political rivals continued their tirade in public and courts in the past more than two years.
But things took a turn for the worse on Saturday when Kunwar Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ allegedly used some derogatory terms for the close family members of Umesh .J.Kumar, who provoked went to the Landhoura palace to challenge the strongman. Next day it was the turn of Kunwar Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ to retaliate, who along with his armed suuporters descended on the office of the legislator. He and his supporters opened fire with their weapons and thrashed some of the supporters of the legislaltor. They attackers soon left in their vehicles. Interestingly, the vehicle of ‘Champion’ had a poster of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Soon, as the news of the attack spread, Umesh.J. Kumar with a pistol in his hand came and started threatening his rivals. The police and his supporters had a tough time in controlling him. The videos of firing by Champion and reaction of Umesh.J. Kumar have become viral and got national attention. None was seriously injured in the skirmishes on Sunday evening. Kunwar Pranav ‘Champion’ was arrested and taken to Dehradun while Umesh.J. Kumar was detained at Roorkee. Both were produced before the judicial magistrate,amidst tight security as senior police officials camped there. Five luxury vehicles used by ‘Champion’ used in the attack were also seized by the police. In another related development Haridwar District Magistrate Kamendra Singh in an order suspended nine fire arm license issued in the name of Champion his wife and son. He has also issued notices to three other persons were with him during the attack on the recommendation of the Haridwar police.
Kunwar Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ four time legislator from Khanpur assembly segment who is known for his brash ways. He had a duel with Desraj Karanwal, another BJP legislator from Jhabreda assembly segment of Haridwar during 2019. The ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) found itself in an acute embarrassing situation following the public fued between two of its’ party legislators from Haridwar district which crossed the limits of public decency and democratic norms resulting in public insults, name callings and even threatening physical violence against each other.
Both, then BJP legislators made waves by publicly threatening each other. Both of them were at loggerheads as their rivalry started when Kunwar Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ wanted his wife to become the Haridwar Zila Panchayat chairperson but the move was resisted by Deshraj Karanwal.
Deshraj Karanwal had accused Kunwar Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ of being a fake ‘Champion’ and alleged that Kunwar Pranav Singh has not played even ‘Gilli-Danda’ and claimed to be a “Champion’. He charged him with having fake sports and educational credentials. He even disputed that Kunwar Pranav Singh’Champion’ belongs to erstwhile royal family of Landhaura.
Kunwar Pranav Singh challenged Deshraj Karanwal for a physical duel and claimed that he would make him bleed with only a single slap. He also threatened him of tearing him apart in a physical fight. He also announced that he would wait for Deshraj Karanwal at Nehru Stadium, Roorkee on a particular day where Champion turned but his challenger did not turn up. Later, ‘Champion’ was suspended by BJP for six years as his video title “Tamancha pe Disco” in which he was seen dancing with guns in his hand and abusing went viral. He was also accused of threatening and abusing a journalist.
Champion who was an independent legislator, later joined Congress but jumped the fence to join BJP with ten other legislators in 2016 in a bid to topple the Harish Rawat government.