Relief for AAP MLA Somnath Bharti as Delhi HC quashes FIR in domestic violence case

In a relief to AAP MLA Somnath Bharti, the Delhi High Court Tuesday quashed an FIR which accused him of domestic violence, after his wife expressed no objection to it.

Justice Chander Shekhar allowed Bharti's plea to quash the criminal case after noting that Bharti and his wife Lipika Mitra are living happily together.

The court noted that the woman has no objection if the FIR is quashed.

Bharti and his wife earlier informed the court that they have settled the matrimonial dispute between them through mediation and that they wanted to live together peacefully along with their children.

The court had allowed Mitra to withdraw her plea seeking cancellation of the bail granted to him in the domestic violence case in view of the settlement of their marital dispute.

Mitra had on June 10, 2015 filed a complaint against him with the Delhi Commission for Women and an FIR was lodged by the police on September 9, 2015 for allegedly subjecting her to domestic violence and trying to kill her.

On April 23, a trial court had framed charges against Bharti for the alleged offences, including harassment, cheating, criminal intimidation under the IPC. It however discharged him of the offences of attempt to murder under the IPC.

The Delhi Police had on April 5, 2016 filed a charge sheet before the trial court in the case.

The MLA from Malviya Nagar assembly, who was granted bail in October 2015 after being in jail for eight days, had denied the allegations levelled against him.

He was arrested in the wee hours of September 29, 2015 after the Supreme Court had ordered him to surrender.

The trial court had granted bail to Bharti observing that he was no longer required for investigation and since he was a member of Delhi Assembly, there was no ground of apprehension that he may flee.