AAP MLA's trial in rioting case to commence in November

A Delhi court would commence in November the trial against AAP MLA Som Dutt, who has been charged with offences of rioting, wrongfully restraining and assaulting a man during the 2015 assembly election campaign.
Metropolitan Magistrate Ruby Neeraj Kumar today fixed November 2 for recording prosecution evidence, including deposition of complainant Sanjeev Rana, in the case.
The court had in May this year framed charges against Som Dutt, a legislator from Sadar Bazar constituency here, after he pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.
If proven guilty, the offences entail a maximum jail term of seven years.
The court had framed charges of rioting, wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing grievous hurt and unlawful assembly under the Indian Penal Code against the MLA, who is out on bail.

While ordering framing of charges, the magistrate had said keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case put forward by the prosecution and from the statements of the witnesses, a prima facie case was made out against Som Dutt.

An FIR was lodged against Som Dutt in 2015 at Gulabi Bagh police station in North Delhi on the allegation that the MLA and around 50 of his supporters, while campaigning in the locality, had come to the house of complainant Sanjeev Rana.
The prosecutor had alleged that when the complainant objected, the MLA allegedly hit him in his legs with a baseball bat and his supporters dragged him out on the road and started beating him, causing grievous injury.

Som Dutt's counsel had refuted the arguments of the prosecutor saying the MLA and his supporters were peacefully campaigning in the society and it was the complainant who started quarrelling with Som Dutt in an inebriated state, on which a cross FIR was also registered by the legislator.
The MLA's counsel had also said that Rana has neither named nor identified any other person to charge him for the offence of rioting.
The court has also framed charges against Rana in the cross case filed against him by the MLA for allegedly entering into a scuffle with him and his party members while they were campaigning for the elections.

Som Dutt had also alleged that while doing so, Rana, in an inebriated state, hurled abuses at women party members and pushed one of the associates towards barbed wires due to which he suffered injury.