Midnight raid:Police say awaiting nod to prosecute Bharti

Delhi Police is seeking a priority sanction against Somnath Bharti in the alleged molestation of African women.

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During proceedings, the investigating officer (IO) informed the court that sanction to prosecute Bharti is still awaited from the competent authority.

The Delhi Police on Friday informed a city court that it was seeking prosecution sanction from the competent authority on “priority basis” against AAP MLA Somnath Bharti in connection with the alleged midnight raid on African women in Khirki Extension last year.

The Delhi Police, who had charged Bharti with molestation of African women, informed the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Ankita Lal that in keeping with the court’s earlier directive, police have written to the competent authority to
grant prosecution sanction against Bharti.

The moves comes after MM Lal, on January 16, issued notice to DCP and gave a last chance to investigating officer Vijay Chandel to get prosecution sanction against the AAP leader.

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On Friday, special public prosecutor Atul Srivastava, while filing a report from the Deputy Commissioner of Police, also submitted a reply from the investigation officer in the case on Bharti’s plea for further probe in the case in a sealed cover after which the court fixed the matter for further hearing on July 14.

In its chargesheet filed on September 27 last year, the Delhi Police had said that “nine African women were victims of molestation and manhandling by a mob led by Bharti”, who was the Delhi law minister at that time.

Bharti and 17 others have been booked under various sections of the IPC, including 354 (outraging women’s modesty), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 147 (rioting).

The police arrayed 41 people as prosecution witnesses in the case, including nine Ugandan women, who were allegedly beaten up and molested by the mob on the intervening night of January 15-16, 2014.

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In its charge sheet, police had said forensic reports of the victim’s urine samples were awaited but reports of video footage collected from CCTV cameras installed at AIIMS, where the victims were taken for medical check-up, and news channels have been received.

—With PTI inputs

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