Delhi's former Law Minister, Somnath Bharti, has been sent to a two-day police custody following his arrest in a domestic violence and attempt to murder case filed by his wife.
Bharti was arrested around 4 AM today, four hours after a deadline set by the Supreme Court which refused to grant him more time as the AAP MLA, at the centre of a public domestic spat, remained absconding from law.
"We want him to surrender before appropriate jurisdiction of the police by this evening. We don't intend to pass any further order," a bench comprising Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justice Amitava Roy said on September 28. The bench rejected the plea of his counsel and senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam that Bharti be given time till today to surrender.
"This too shall pass," Bharti tweeted before surrendering to the police.
This too shall pass and truth shall prevail.
— Adv. Somnath Bharti (@attorneybharti) September 28, 2015
The MLA has been arrested under various sections of the IPC including 307 (attempt to murder), 420 (cheating and dishonesty), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 417 (punishment for cheating), 313 (causing miscarriage without woman's consent), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt), 498a (husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation, PTI reported.
The FIR against the former Delhi Law Minister was registered at Dwarka North police station following a complaint by his wife Lipika Mitra. Mitra had alleged that Bharti had unleashed his dog on her and regularly beat her up.
Photos tweeted out by news agencies showed Bharti waving a copy of the Indian Constitution at waiting reporters as he arrived at the police station.
"There was a warrant and I was availing legal remedies till the Honourable Supreme Court directed me to surrender. In compliance with the direction...I am here to surrender," Bharti had said.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had recently slammed his former aide and called him an embarrassment to the party.
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