High Court Dismisses Somnath Bharti's Plea For Contempt Action Against Cops

Somnath Bharti, a former Delhi Law Minister, had claimed bias in the probe against him and had sought further investigation into the matter.

New Delhi:  The Delhi High Court today dismissed a plea of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Somnath Bharti seeking contempt action against the police officials for not filing their reply before a trial court in a case of alleged molestation of some African women during his purported midnight raid in 2014.

A bench comprising Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath held that a single judge of the court has correctly dismissed Mr Bharti's plea seeking contempt action against police officials.

"The petition is dismissed as it is not maintainable," the bench said.

Appearing for Mr Bharti, senior advocate Ram Jethmalani argued that the trial court in its order dated October 27, 2014, after noticing 13 defects in the probe conducted in the case, had directed Delhi Police to file a reply on the plea for further investigation in the case.

He said that till now the police despite direction from the trial court, has not filed its reply on the plea which was moved by Mr Bharti.

On December 17, 2015, a bench of a single judge of the high court had dismissed Mr Bharti's plea seeking action against the cops, saying the act of not filing the reply by the police officers does not constitute civil contempt.

On October 27, 2014, Mr Bharti, a former Delhi Law Minister, had claimed bias in the probe against him and had sought further investigation into the matter.

The trial court had then sought a reply from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and the Station House Officer (SHO) of Malviya Nagar Police Station within a month on Mr Bharti's plea seeking a further probe in the case.

Delhi Police had filed a final report against Mr Bharti and 17 other accused. They have been chargesheeted for various offences under the Indian Penal Code, including sections 354 (outraging women's modesty), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 147 (rioting).

The police, in its charge sheet, have said, "Nine African women were victims of molestation and manhandling by a mob led by the then law minister Somnath Bharti."

The police had arrayed 41 persons as prosecution witnesses in the case, including nine Ugandan women who were allegedly beaten up and molested by the mob led by Bharti on the intervening night of January 15-16, 2014.

Aam Aadmi Party Not To Contest Khadoor Sahib Bypoll In Punjab

The Aam Aadmi Party said it does not want to invest its resources in the bypoll, but will focus on the main battle in 2017.

New Delhi:  The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will not contest the Khadoor Sahib bypoll in Punjab even as its former member Bhai Baldeep Singh backed by Swaraj Abhiyan will be in the fray.

The party said it does not want to invest its resources in the bypoll, but will focus on the main battle in 2017.

"We will not be fielding candidates for Khadoor Sahib. What is the point in fielding a candidate when the main elections are few months away? We are focusing on 2017," AAP's Punjab co-convenor Durgesh Pathak said.

Incidentally, after its resounding success in Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, which gave four lawmakers to the party, the AAP had contested bypolls for Talwandi Sabo and Patiala Assembly seats, but the party suffered a drubbing.

AAP had, however, won from Patiala Lok Sabha seat just few months back then.

"We don't want to enter the fray right now. When we know that we have a good chance, we don't want to take any chances for a bypoll, and instead (want to) focus on the bigger target," said a party leader.

AAP's former member Bhai Baldeep Singh has got the support of Swaraj Abhiyan leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, who are former members of the party.

Making it a prestige battle, the Shiromani Akali Dal is also going out all stops to ensure victory and has fielded Ravinder Singh Brahmpura for the bypoll.

BJP files complaint against Arvind Kejrival with Election officials

Accusing Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal of levelling “defamatory” allegations against Narendra Modi and its other leaders, BJP t on Monday  filed a complaint against him with electoral authorities, alleging it violated the model code of conduct.

“We have filed the complaint with the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer against Kejriwal for making defamatory and false statements and hurling charges on personal character, constituting violation of the model code of conduct,” BJP leader Suresh Kumar told reporters after filing the complaint.

He said Kejriwal has violated laws under Section 505 (2) and 171 G of Indian Penal Code and under 123(4) of Representation of People Act. “Hence, we request you (EC) to take stringent action against Kejriwal,” he said.

Kumar said Kejriwal had made accusations without any basis and material on record against BJP, knowing well they are false. “Kejriwal is doing this to affect the chances of BJP in the Lok Sabha elections,” he added.

During his speech at Freedom Park here yesterday, Suresh Kumar said Kejriwal used “defamatory, derogatory, bad and intemperate language” against Modi, the Prime Ministerial candidate of BJP, who is known for his provenance and integrity in governance and administration.

He said Kejriwal has least respect for the law of the country when he stated that even if a case of defamation is booked against him, he will not care.

“Kejriwal has made false allegations like in Gujarat, for instance, to get a driving license you have to pay Rs 5,000, further to get a DySP transferred you have to pay Rs 2.75 crore and also that if he (Modi) becomes the Prime Minister, he will fix a price for everything,” Kumar said.

He alleged Kejriwal is a campaigner who promotes and proclaims falsities in public places.

“Without any material or base, he has vaguely abused former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and several other leaders of BJP that they have indulged in corruption,” he said
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/bjp-files-complaint-against-arvind-kejrival-with-election-officials/#sthash.S8fY2wWQ.dpuf

 Section 505 (2) and 171 G of Indian Penal Code and under 123(4) of Representation of People Act. “Hence, we request you (EC) to take stringent action against Kejriwal,” he said. Kumar said Kejriwal had made accusations without any basis and material on record against BJP, knowing well they are false. “Kejriwal is doing this to affect the chances of BJP in the Lok Sabha elections,” he added.
During his speech at Freedom Park here yesterday, Suresh Kumar said Kejriwal used “defamatory, derogatory, bad and intemperate language” against Modi, the Prime Ministerial candidate of BJP, who is known for his provenance and integrity in governance and administration.
He said Kejriwal has least respect for the law of the country when he stated that even if a case of defamation is booked against him, he will not care.
“Kejriwal has made false allegations like in Gujarat, for instance, to get a driving license you have to pay Rs 5,000, further to get a DySP transferred you have to pay Rs 2.75 crore and also that if he (Modi) becomes the Prime Minister, he will fix a price for everything,” Kumar said.
He alleged Kejriwal is a campaigner who promotes and proclaims falsities in public places.
“Without any material or base, he has vaguely abused former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and several other leaders of BJP that they have indulged in corruption,” he said
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/bjp-files-complaint-against-arvind-kejrival-with-election-officials/#sthash.S8fY2wWQ.dpuf

Accusing Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal of levelling “defamatory” allegations against Narendra Modi and its other leaders, BJP t on Monday  filed a complaint against him with electoral authorities, alleging it violated the model code of conduct.
“We have filed the complaint with the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer against Kejriwal for making defamatory and false statements and hurling charges on personal character, constituting violation of the model code of conduct,” BJP leader Suresh Kumar told reporters after filing the complaint.

He said Kejriwal has violated laws under Section 505 (2) and 171 G of Indian Penal Code and under 123(4) of Representation of People Act. “Hence, we request you (EC) to take stringent action against Kejriwal,” he said.
Kumar said Kejriwal had made accusations without any basis and material on record against BJP, knowing well they are false. “Kejriwal is doing this to affect the chances of BJP in the Lok Sabha elections,” he added.
During his speech at Freedom Park here yesterday, Suresh Kumar said Kejriwal used “defamatory, derogatory, bad and intemperate language” against Modi, the Prime Ministerial candidate of BJP, who is known for his provenance and integrity in governance and administration.
He said Kejriwal has least respect for the law of the country when he stated that even if a case of defamation is booked against him, he will not care.
“Kejriwal has made false allegations like in Gujarat, for instance, to get a driving license you have to pay Rs 5,000, further to get a DySP transferred you have to pay Rs 2.75 crore and also that if he (Modi) becomes the Prime Minister, he will fix a price for everything,” Kumar said.
He alleged Kejriwal is a campaigner who promotes and proclaims falsities in public places.
“Without any material or base, he has vaguely abused former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and several other leaders of BJP that they have indulged in corruption,” he said
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/bjp-files-complaint-against-arvind-kejrival-with-election-officials/#sthash.S8fY2wWQ.dpuf

IN LEAKED AUDIO CLIP, ‘VOICE OF BHAGWANT MANN’ SAYS AAP LEADERSHIP PLOTTING AGAINST EVERYONE

New Delhi: Days after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suspended Dharamvir Gandhi, its MP from Patiala, for anti-party activities, another parliamentarian from Punjab appears to have joined the rebel camp. In a private telephonic conversation with Gandhi, which has found its way to the media, Bhagwant Mann, the MP from Sangur, is heard criticising the party’s central leadership, and raising doubts over the party’s prospects in the Assembly elections in Punjab.

“They (the party leadership) are plotting against us… they have started plotting against everyone,” the voice, purportedly that of Mann, is heard mentioning in the audio conversation. It says AAP leaders in the state won because of their own popularity, not because of the ‘broom’ (the symbol of the party).

Firstpost is in possession of the audio clip, but does not vouch for its authenticity. Repeated calls to Mann went unanswered. When contacted, Gandhi said, “Yes, it’s true. I’ve also come to know about the audio clip. It was a telephonic conversation between Bhagwant Mann and me some six months ago. It’s not a recent one. Mann was apparently unhappy like me on the developments within the party related to Punjab. He expressed his grievances to me. But, one thing I can say with conviction is that the said conversation was not recorded at my end.”

Interestingly, the audio clip surfaced just a day after Mann told AAP’s ‘Punjab Connect Rally’ that growing factionalism would not have am impact on the party, and that AAP will break the Delhi record by registering a clean sweep in Punjab.

“They (AAP leadership) believe that like Delhi, people here, will also vote for the broom and not look at the candidate… In Punjab, personality matters… Your (Gandhi’s) personality worked and so did professor’s (Professor Sadhu Singh — AAP’s lawmaker from Faridkot). I won because of my 20 years of celebrity status,” he claims. To justify his point, he adds: “Just think if that was not the case, why did Sauchi Mann not win. Since (HS) Phoolka was never among the people in Punjab, he also lost. Whydid Himmat Singh Shergil lose? He also had the broom.”

Gandhi, who agrees with Mann throughout the conversation, supported Mann’s arguments saying, “Exactly Ji… Absolutely correct… We have been with the people for so many years.”

Mann further adds that they are winners not only in Punjab, but Delhi as well because wherever they campaigned in the national capital, the candidate won by a huge margin. He says he, along with the other three MPs, should be authorised to make pan-Punjab policies. “Let’s seriously sit and think that we are the winners, and we are winners in Delhi too. Look at the victory margin wherever we campaigned,” he adds.

Adding that the party knows their strength and potential, Mann demands that the party must give them a say in candidate selection for the 2017 Assembly polls in Punjab. “Now we need to have a role in Punjab. Give us the right to have our own team,” he says.

He mentions the name of a few unknown leaders who, he alleges, have been thrust upon the party from outside against their wishes. “Don’t force upon us someone like Manjit and that Doctor (Balbir), Rupinder Kaur in Barnala.. (and ) all those who have contributed to our defeat . All those who were sad about our victory are now on our ship,” says Mann.

Raising serious doubts about the party’s prospects in the Punjab Assembly elections, Mann says that it is not an easy task to win here as AAP’s position is not that strong. “Punjab is not like Delhi where we have just to fight the BJP. There are more players, including the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). If our senior leaders think it is a cakewalk in Punjab, they are mistaken,” Mann told Gandhi, who speaks very little in the clip, but agrees with whatever his colleague in the Lok Sabha says.

Mann alleges that few party leaders have plans to distribute tickets to their favourites. Therefore, along with likeminded people in the party should work against such designs. He tells Gandhi, who only says “correct”, “absolutely correct”, “I agree”, “na na”, “exactly”, etc throughout the entire conversation, to hold secret meetings to discuss and devise their own plans for Punjab, which will go to the polls in 2017.

Mann also speaks against some other members such as Sucha Singh Chottepur and Harinder Singh Khalsa. The AAP had recently suspended two of its MPs — Gandhi and Harinder Singh Khalsa (who represents Fatehgarh Sahib) — for anti-party activities. The duo had accused AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of acting like a dictator.

AAP leaders preferred to keep mum on the audio clip, adding that they have not come across any such audio file. They added that they will only react after listening to and verifying it. But AAP Volunteer Action Manch (AVAM), a group of the party’s disgruntled members, was quick to fire a salvo.

“The party has dumped its ideology and has been hijacked by people with vested interest,” AVAM’s Amit Kumar told Firstpost, when asked whether Kejriwal and other leaders are going to take any action against Mann