Embarrassment for party and family, surrender: CM Arvind Kejriwal to Somnath Bharti

READ: Somnath Bharti’s aides being questioned on his whereabouts

“Somnath should surrender. Why is he running away? Why is he so scared of going to jail? Now he is becoming embarrassment for party and his family. He should cooperate with police,” Kejriwal tweeted Wednesday morning. The CM did not stop with social media.

In the evening, the government approved sanction to prosecute Bharti in the Khirki extension raid controversy of 2014. Then, Bharti had ‘raided’ a Khirki Extension neighbourhood, which he claimed was a den of vice. At least three women of African descent had registered complaints of sexual harassment against Bharti.

In August, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung gave the police sanction to prosecute Bharti, but Home Minister Satyendar Jain refused. Jain even questioned the Lt Governor’s intention in approving the sanction.

In his petition to the Supreme Court, Bharti sought protection from arrest till his appeal against the High Court order is decided by the top court. He also sought a restraint order against what he called as “harassment” of his family members by the police.

Bharti emphasised that the charges against him arise out of a domestic violence case and there was a possibility of reconciliation with his wife. He added his arrest was not called for since he was willing to cooperate with investigators in the probe and would not abscond.

With the sword of arrest hanging over Bharti’s head, his lawyers are likely to mention the petition before Chief Justice H L Dattu for an urgent hearing Thursday.

Terming the allegations against former law minister by his wife, Lipika Mitra, “very serious”, the High Court had said she was tolerating his “cruelty” and “brutal assault”. Dismissing his plea for protection from arrest in the case, it added being an MLA, he should have shown “more generosity and responsibility towards his wife and children”.

Somnath shud surrender.Why is he running away?Why is he so scared of gng to jail? Now he is becoming embarasment for party n his family(1/2)

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 23, 2015

He shud cooperate wid police(2/2)

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 23, 2015