In a major setback to controversial Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Somnath Bharti, who is facing a domestic violence case, police on Friday told the Delhi High Court that an AIIMS medical report shows that scars on his wife’s body were “due to dog bites and burn injuries”.
The MLA, who was granted bail on 7 October 2015 after being in jail for eight days, has denied the allegations.
Investigators filed a chargesheet on 5 April last year which mentioned that Bharti’s wife Lipika Mitra had said that Bharti had endangered the life of an unborn child she was carrying by unleashing his dog on her.
An AIIMS medical board examined six photos of scars on Mitra in connection with the treatment history of dog bites in a hospital in Dwarka. The Delhi Police was also of the opinion that the scars could be due to dog bite injuries and some due to burns.
Somnath Bharti used to harass, beat and abuse the petitioner (wife) from the very beginning of the marriage, despite having knowledge about her frail health conditions.Delhi Police to High Court.
The affidavit read: “The medical record produced by the petitioner was examined and verified. It shows that she was suffering from diabetes and hypertension at the time of pregnancy.”
It claimed there was sufficient evidence on record for alleged offences for attempt to murder, act done with intent to prevent the child being born alive or to cause it to die after birth, causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means against the MLA from Malviya Nagar assembly.
Further, police said there was a case of alleged dowry harassment and criminal breach of trust along with the charge of cheating and criminal intimidation against him under the Indian Penal Code.
Lipika had moved court challenging the bail order issued in October last year, saying it was almost like a verdict and the trial court had relied on the case diary.
Bharti’s wife lodged a complaint against him on 10 June 2015 with the Delhi Commission for Women and an FIR was lodged by the Delhi Police on 9 September 2015 for allegedly subjecting her to domestic violence and trying to kill her.
The AAP leader was arrested in the wee hours of 29 September 2015 after the Supreme Court had ordered him to surrender.
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