DCW summon: Bharti fails to appear, wife says she knew it

Former Delhi Law minister and AAP MLA Somnath Bharti did not turn up today before the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), which had summoned him after his wife filed a domestic violence complaint with the commission.

Citing busy schedule due to ongoing Assembly session, the MLA asked for another date and the Commission fixed July 3.

However, Bharti's wife Lipika appeared before the Commission and said that she wants to go ahead with the police complaint. In spite of counseling session arranged for the couple, Lipika said that there was no chance for a patch up as Bharti will "never change".

"As you are aware that in compliance with the constitutional duty entrusted with me by the virtue of myself being the MLA, Malviya Nagar, I am duty bound to attend the ongoing sessions in the Delhi Assembly. The House will remain in session from 2 PM until June 30...

"I am requesting you to re-schedule the proceedings to any other date after June 30 at 3 PM," the letter submitted to the Chairperson of DCW in behalf of Bharti stated.

After the letter, DCW chairperson Barkha Shukla asked the MLA to appear before the commission on July 3. "We have now posted the matter for July 3 and have notified the same to him," she said.

Bharti's wife Lipika appeared before the Commission today and said that her husband had also sent her a message over phone citing his inability to be present before the panel due to the ongoing Assembly session.

"I got a message from him (Bharti) stating that he would not be able to appear before the Commission today since the Assembly session is on.

"I always knew he would not turn up. He sent the message at 2.30 PM despite knowing that he has to appear today before the DCW at 3 PM. This caused immense inconvenience to me as well the Commission members," she said.

Lipika said that three rounds counselling session at the Crime Against Women Cell office is over and that she is not ready for any reconciliation and wants police action against Bharti.

"He did not appear at the first counselling session. He appeared in the other two sessions and the counsel was pushing us to patch up. Even he (Bharti) was asking for a chance saying he will change himself. But I know he will never change, five years is ample time to change," she said.

Lipika had approached DCW levelling allegations of domestic violence against Bharti, following which he was summoned by the Commission to appear today.

Lipika also filed a police complaint against Bharti accusing him of "domestic violence" and "torture" at DCP of South West and her complaint was transferred to CAW cell.