Former Delhi law Minister Somnath Bharti surrendered at Dwarka North Police Station late on Monday, after the Supreme Court dismissed his bail petition in connection with the case of attempt to murder and domestic violence with his wife lipika Mitra. On Monday morning, the apex court had asked him to surrender by 6.30 pm.
Bharti reached police station in a silver-colour Hyundai Sedan around 10.10 pm. He was accompanied by his lawyer and was carrying a book of the Constitution of India in his hand.
“I was not running...I believe in the Constitution. I was looking for every option in the law book. Court has asked me to join the probe so I came,” said Bharti to the media, waiting outside the police station.
Bharti, clad in a T-shirt and jeans, kept sitting for a few minutes inside his car after reaching at the police station. His lawyer went into the police station and returned after meeting the IO. Bharti then went inside the police station along with his lawyer.
Joint Commissioner of Police Dependra Pathak told The Pioneer that it was the IO’s prerogative to put him under arrest or not. “The IO will look into the localities and will act according to it,” said Pathak.
Earlier on Monday, the SC said Bharti had failed to conduct himself as a responsible citizen and any further plea he wished to raise would be heard only after he surrenders.
Bharti’s lawyer tried to persuade the SC to consider the option of mediation as a recourse to settle the dispute.
The Bench said: “That is not the question before us today. You applied for anticipatory bail from the trial court and then the High Court. Having lost before two courts, as a responsible citizen what should have been your conductIJ”
Subramaniam pointed out that the FIR lodged by Bharti’s wife lipika Mitra related to a matrimonial dispute, a fact that the High Court (HC) noted in its order. But he pointed out that more than the arrest, what was central to the dispute was a marital discord which could be solved by a trained mediator. Till date, he argued, the couple had not received help from a trained mediator and in the process, their two children were unnecessarily being affected. He requested the apex court to allow the petitioner and his estranged wife to attend the Mediation Centre at the SC.
The Bench said it had no interest in standing in the way of a solution to the problem. But seeing Bharti’s conduct the Bench did not want to be seen as helping an absconder. It said: “We will be the first to say end these fights and quarrels for the sake of children. But we can’t be saying we will protect an absconder. So first surrender and then come before us. We will see what can be done.”
Subramaniam then sought permission from the SC to surrender before it which was refused. He then sought time to surrender till Tuesday but the Bench made it clear that it was willing to consider his proposal for mediation only if he surrendered by Monday evening. Bharti’s counsels accepted this condition and the Bench posted the matter for Thursday. The court made it clear that it will first seek consent of the wife. “If she is willing to sit for mediation, we will arrange the meeting. But we cannot force her to do it.”