Delhi court orders FIR after Africans' complaint over Somnath Bharti's raid

New Delhi: A Delhi court has ordered registration of a criminal case against unknown persons in connection with the midnight raid against African women by a group allegedly led by Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti which accused them of being involved in prostitution.

Metropolitan Magistrate Chetna Singh ordered registration of the complaint after the women, who were allegedly assaulted in South Delhi last week, moved an application seeking registration of criminal case against Bharti and his associates.

"The police were directed to lodge an FIR under appropriate sections of IPC, after investigating the complaint," police sources said.

They said the court has ordered the registration of FIR against the persons under sections 451 (house trespass), 427 (mischief), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of IPC.

The women - two Nigerians and two Ugandans - had approached the court on Saturday with the application seeking registration of FIR before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vivek Golia, who refused to accept the application and directed them to approach the police for the same.

The magistrate told them that in case police turns down their request, they can file an appropriate application before this court. The four women along with their counsels had on Saturday filed fresh application on which the court has ordered lodging of case.

The women have alleged in their petition that they were subjected to a cavity search during their medical examination at AIIMS, which was an humiliating experience.They also alleged that Bharti and his people had asked them to give urine samples in public.

The women had earlier approached the Malviya Nagar Police Station seeking action against the men including the Law Minister who had allegedly roughed them between 1 AM and 3 AM on the intervening night of January 15-16.

When asked about the matter, Bharti said, "The whole incident would have been recorded by the TV cameras present there. I don't think any of our workers hit anyone there or said anything to anyone".

"We are the people who get beaten up and abused. We do not abuse anyone," Bharti said.

"The second thing and the biggest mistake being made by everyone is that no one is paying attention to the problem of drugs which is ruining our youth," the Minister said.

Bharti said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will release some information later 'which will have many facts'.

"A prostitution racket is being carried out her. Nobody is paying attention to that," he alleged "When the truth will be presented, everything will become clear," he added.

Next - AAP more comfortable on streets than secretariat: BJP

AAP more comfortable on streets than secretariat: BJP

New Delhi: BJP on Sunday accused Delhi's Law Minister Somnath Bharti of 'racism' and wondered if the dharna planned by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to demand suspension of some police officials is a ploy for 'a way out of the government and get back to the streets'.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said Aam Admi Party (AAP) is obviously more comfortable doing a dharna than working in the secretariat, noting that the past three weeks have shown that the party gets into a 'self-destructive mode' at the secretariat.

"Is the planned dharna for one day a ploy to fracture its non-transparent arrangement with Congress? Is the AAP looking for a way out of the government and get back to the streets? Or is it exploiting the non-preparedness of Congress and the Home Minister into yielding to its demand," he said in a statement.

Jaitley was reacting on Kejriwal's decision to stage a dharna outside Home Ministry on Monday demanding action against policemen who refused to 'cooperate' with Bharti in cracking down on an alleged drug and prostitution ring involving some Ugandan nationals in South Delhi.

Jaitley said Bharti has created serious problems for Africans staying in the capital.

"His approach appears to be a racist one. The party within days has become victim of its own unconventional style. Mobs can't take decisions. They can at best be populist," the leader said.

Bharti is at the centre of a raging row as he tried to raid an alleged drug and prostitution ring involving foreign nationals but the police refused to do his bidding citing lack of warrant. Kejriwal has defended Bharti, saying he acted on the complaint of people, and instead accused police of not acting on the minister's complaint.

Jaitley said AAP used the government formation in Delhi to create enthusiasm among its supporters across the country but its performance is becoming 'embarrassing by the day'.

"The party comprises of ideologists, activists, the self-opinionated and the self-righteous. Some of the supporters have joined the party or voted for it with a sense of idealism. Forming a party and running a government is very different from leading an agitation," he said.