Published 17:29 IST, January 23rd 2021
AAP MLA Somnath Bharti sentenced to 2 years in jail for 2016 assault on AIIMS security
A fine of Rs 1 lakh has also imposed on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Pandey.Â
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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Somnath Bharti has been sentenced to two years in jail by a Delhi Court on Saturday in the 2016 assault case against AIIMS security staff. While dictating the order, the court noted that the prosecution had duly proved the case against Bharti 'beyond all reasonable doubt', noting that he was guilty based on the evidence. A fine of Rs 1 lakh has also imposed on the AAP MLA by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Pandey.
"The court is of the considered view that the prosecution has duly proved its case beyond all reasonable doubt against accused Somnath Bharti," the magistrate said.
2016 Assault on AIIMS Security
The case came to light after RS Rawat, Chief Security Officer of AIIMS lodged a complaint at the Hauz Khas police station naming Somnath Bharti and nearly 300 others, who brought down the fence of a boundary wall at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi with a JCB operator.
According to Rawat, Bharti not only gave permission to unauthorized persons with JCB machines to get inside AIIMS from Gautam Nagar Nallah roadside but also assaulted and misbehaved with security guards of the government hospital. The complaint also names Jagat Saini, Dileep Jha, Sandeep Sonu, and Rakesh Pandey as co-accused for 'encroaching on government land' and 'disrupting peace' in the hospital.
Based on the charges, the Court, after nearly 4 years has convicted Bharti under various offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 147 (rioting) and section 3 (mischief causing damage to public property) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
He has however been granted bail to enable him to file an appeal before the High Court against his conviction. Meanwhile, all co-accused have been acquitted due to 'lack of evidence'.
AAP issues statement on Bharti's conviction
While issuing a formal statement on Somnath Bharti's conviction, the Aam Aadmi Party has stated that they feel 'injustice' has happened to the leader in the case. "We respect and have full faith in the judiciary. However, we feel an injustice has happened to Somnath Bharti in this case. Somnath is a very popular leader and is loved by everyone in his constituency. People are quite sad in his constituency as the news of his conviction is spreading. Somnath Bharti is filing an appeal. We are confident that justice will be done to him at the appellate level," said AAP.
Meanwhile, Somnath Bharti had told the court that police officials were trying to 'falsely implicate' him in the case. His counsel had argued that Bharti did not 'intend to hurt anyone' adding that he had reached the hospital with the JCB tractor 'on the call of the public.'
(With Agency Inputs)
17:29 IST, January 23rd 2021