The police remand of former Delhi law Minister Somnath Bharti, accused in an attempt to murder and domestic violence case filed by his estranged wife lipika Mitra, was extended by three more days on Thursday by a local court.
Metropolitan Magistrate Manika said the extension of Bharti’s police custody till October 4 was necessary for proper interrogation.
Meanwhile, in more trouble for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MlA, the Supreme Court (SC) refused his interim bail application as well. The SC also took on record the letter written by Bharti’s lawyer on his behalf that the MlA was willing for a settlement with his wife Mitra through mediation for the sake of their children.
The apex court issued a notice to Mitra and sought her presence on Monday to know her stand on the possibilities of mediation.
After his bail plea was rejected, Bharti alleged in the court of the Metropolitan Magistrate that he was “disrobed” by ACP Meena while he was in police custody and claimed that the police “humiliated” him during the interrogation. He requested the court to bar the ACP from questioning him. However, the police refuted his claims and said that Somnath had not been cooperating with interrogators.
Special Public Prosecutor Shailendra Babbar, while seeking further custody of Bharti informed the court that efforts to recover Mitra’s jewellery and a knife were made by the police, but the items had not been found as yet.
Police said they suspected that Bharti might have taken these with him while he was evading arrest.
Police also informed the court that they were trying to nab the people who had harboured Bharti while he was on the run and a case had already been registered in this matter.
The police also informed the court that Bharti’s pet dog Don has also been examined. Further hearing in the case is slated for October 4.
The AAP MlA was arrested in the wee hours of September 29 after the SC ordered him to surrender. Bharti had on September 23 moved the apex court seeking protection from arrest in the case and a direction to restrain Delhi Police from arresting him till his plea challenging the High Court order was decided.
Earlier in the day, the SC denied interim bail to Bharti and sought the presence of his wife before it on Monday to explore the possibility of mediation.
The SC Bench refused to interfere with his criminal trial and left it to the Magistrate to pass any orders with regard to his further remand in police custody.
Bharti’s lawyer senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam sought interim bail till Monday pointing serious lapses in the procedure adopted by Delhi Police after his arrest. The court sidestepped the charge leveled by Subramaniam that Bharti was denied a meeting with his lawyer in custody and not supplied a copy of the arrest memo.
The Bench of Chief Justice Hl Dattu and Justice Amitava Roy said: “We have kept this matter pending only because you wanted an amicable settlement through mediation.” Subramaniam showed a letter written by Bharti’s lawyer offering mediation to settle the criminal cases of domestic violence and attempt to murder lodged by his wife.
Relying on the letter, the Bench directed the Registry to supply a copy to Bharti’s wife and issued a notice to appear in court on Monday. When Subramaniam asked the judges to keep an open mind while taking up the case, the Chief Justice assured him that if possible even bail would be granted to meet ends of justice. But Justice Roy reminded Subramaniam, “Do not take it as any assurance. We are clearing the air that nothing should be taken for granted.”