There is more trouble in store for Delhi’s former law Minister Somnath Bharti as lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung has sought permission from the President to register a criminal case against him.
The case pertains to the highly controversial raid by the then law Minister in Khirki Extension area in South Delhi where he reportedly tried to browbeat Delhi Police officers in registering a criminal case against certain Ugandan women who he suspected were involved in flesh trade and drug peddling. A Commission of Enquiry headed by retired Additional District Judge Bl Garg had indicted Bharti for his midnight drama and justified the police action as that was in consonance with the situation.
Informed sources said on Monday that the lieutenant Governor has sought the President’s consent after the Home Department forwarded its comment. The Home Department had sought the opinion of the State law Department on the Commission of Enquiry report. The law Department conveyed to the Home Department that a criminal case was made out against the former law Minister on the basis of the findings of the Commissioner of Enquiry report. It may be recalled that the Home Department had sought comments from law Department whether former law Minister Somnath Bharti should be added in the existing First Information Report (FIR) or a fresh FIR naming former law Minister be filedIJ
The unsavoury controversy created by Bharti had created quite a stir in the national Capital as the then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal protested the inaction of
Delhi Police Commissioner in transferring the Station House Officer of Malviya Nagar Station and also sought to take action against ACP BS Jakhar for defying the Minister. The matter came to a head after Kejriwal yielded to a compromise formula and called off his agitation at Rail Bhawan crossing.
It would be pertinent to mention here that Delhi Police has registered a case against unknown persons under Section 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code (IPC). No names were mentioned in the FIR as the complainants submitted by the victims do not have any names as well. The FIR was lodged on the directions of a city court.
The Bl Garg Commission has found prima facie evidence against Bharti for his role in the so-called ‘raid’. The raid by Bharti and his supporters had targeted Ugandan women, who Bharti had claimed were part of a drugs-and-prostitution racket in Khirki Extension, South Delhi. The Commission has given clean chit to Delhi Police in this matter. The same night, Rakhi Birla who was then the Women and Child Welfare Minister, tried to force the police to arrest suspects involved in an alleged dowry harassment case.
The Bl Garg panel has exonerated both Delhi Police and former Social Welfare Minister Rakhi Birla in the Dabri Mod incident over refusal to register a complaint of an alleged dowry victim. The Commission has given clean chit to Rakhi Birla stating she has done nothing wrong or illegal. “The Minister has just said to take action to police and there was nothing offensive in her action,” the Commission said in its report.