late on Tuesday night Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MlA Somnath Bharti startled people at Dwarka North Police Station by showing up there with his pet labrador Don in tow saying he and the dog were “always available”.
The former Delhi law Minister also directed Don to “bite” people present at the police station in a bid to establish their innocence in view of allegations by his estranged wife lipika Mitra that the dog had bitten her on Bharti’s orders during her pregnancy.
However, much to the relief of the onlookers Don reacted rather indifferently to his master’s directions. “See he is not even reacting. And all sorts of allegations are being leveled against him,” Bharti quipped.
Bharti had showed up at the police station to refute allegations that he was dodging the police. Bharti and Don, who was on a leash, spent around an hour inside the Dwarka North Police Station where he had allegedly gone to “join the investigations” in the case.
A constable present at the police station told The Pioneer, “The dog is bulky…He barked at us…though, no one from the staff tried to play with it as it was obeying its master.”
“The dog became restless and started barking after he was kept in a room where there was no air conditioner (AC). Police stations do not have ACs and we were told later that the dog needs AC at all times and become uneasy once the AC is switched off,” the constable added.
On Wednesday morning, Bharti moved a city court seeking monitoring of the probe in the case filed by his wife and sought cancellation of
the Non-Bailable Warrant issued against him.
Denying allegation that he had unleashed his dog on lipika, Bharti said he was ready to have the dog examined by the IO or an expert.
In his petition, Bharti said, “It is submitted that experts say that a family dog can never be forced against one family member by another. Further, the said dog was a labrador, and labradors by their very nature are peaceful animals.”
However, Mitra reacted sharply to the late night display and Bharti’s claims of the dog’s “innocence” saying she continues to bear the “bite marks” of the dog on her stomach.
“He (Bharti) has his liberty to speak. But whatever I am saying is based on evidence. The bite marks are still there on my stomach,” she said.
Meanwhile, in a series of tweets, Bharti attacked Delhi Police for targeting him. However, senior police officers said that they would move only after Delhi High Court disposes off Bharti’s bail petition.
Somnath Bharti on Wednesday alleged that his wife, lipika Mitra, who has filed a case of attempt to murder and domestic violence against him, was being “misused” for political ends by rival parties taking advantage of her “gullibility”.
In response to Bharti’s allegations, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said that he should have rather joined the probe and introspected about what compelled his wife to get an FIR registered against him.
“It is sad that Somnath Bharti is hurling such allegations against Delhi Police and his wife. It is possible that in future he will start questioning the strictness of the law in dealing with cases of crime against women,” the top cop added.
Police are in the meantime awaiting further orders from the judiciary for further investigation.
Joint Commissioner of Police (South-West) Depender Pathak said the police are looking for Bharti’s “custodial interrogation”, which is not possible till Thursday in view of the High Court’s order.
“What do they need custodial interrogation for when I am ready to cooperate with the investigationIJ That is why I am saying that Narendra Modiji’s police are taking revenge. They want to torture me,” alleged Bharti.
Through a series of tweets, Bharti urged the Police Commissioner to let him know where to go to “join the investigation”. “No response 4m pol (Police) on my written submission dat I m available 24/7 4 investigation. Called Mr. Pathak, Jt CP, Mr. Mishra, Spl CP...N Insp. Dhiraj Kumar, IO of the case but no one has responded till now,” (sic) Bharti wrote on Twitter.
Bharti also took on the top cop alleging that the latter was passing “political statements”. “...At whose behest. Modi jiIJ and for what consideration, securing BJP seat post retirementIJ”
“DP seems 2 hv no interest in doing investigation bt ws interested in wrking at PMO behest 2 send pol across nation 2 arrest me 2 plz modi ji...For friends who are saying that I was absconding for 3 days, plz understand that provision of anticipatory bail is 4 such occasions only,” he said.