Judicial probe completed into Bharti midnight raid episode

The judicial probe into the midnight raid allegedly led by former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti against some African women here has been completed and its report is likely to be submitted to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung tomorrow, sources said.
Sources confirmed that the report of the probe, which was led by a retired judge, has been handed over to the Delhi government's home department, which will further submit the same with the Lt Governor's office.
The Lt Governor had ordered the probe into the incident which took place last month and allegedly involved Bharti leading a group of locals on a midnight raid on some African residents of Khirki Extension in South Delhi.

Bharti had allegedly gone to a locality in Malviya Nagar where he claimed that a drug and prostitution ring was being run by some African nationals.
Initially, he had demanded that police raid the place. However, when the latter refused, saying they had no warrant to do so, he led the mob on the raid.
Delhi Police had registered a case in the matter on January 19 against unknown persons.

There were calls for the then AAP government to remove Bharti from office after one of the African women who were allegedly assaulted in the raid accused him of having led the group that had barged into her house.

But AAP had backed Bharti and said it would wait for the report of the judicial probe before taking any action over the matter.
"(AAP) has not found any evidence against Bharti on three counts. First, he did not do anything which was unbecoming of a minister. The preliminary probe by the party has not found him guilty of having misbehaved with or assaulting the African women. He was also not found to have used any racial slur," party leader Yogendra Yadav had told reporters.
Yadav had added that appropriate action would be taken against Bharti if the judicial probe found him guilty of any wrongdoing.