Domestic violence case: Somnath Bharti sent to jail till Monday

 New Delhi: Controversial AAP MLA and former Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti was on Sunday sent to Tihar Jail for a day by a Delhi Court, in an alleged domestic violence and attempt to murder case lodged by his wife.

Duty Magistrate Sudhir Kumar Sirohi remanded Bharti to judicial custody till tomorrow after the investigating agency did not seek his further custody.

The court, however, asked the police to produce him before the concerned trial court tomorrow.

41-year-old AAP MLA was produced before the court today on expiry of his three-day police remand.

In its application, Delhi police said that Bharti be sent to 14-day judicial custody as the custodial interrogation in the case is not needed.

Advocate Vijay Aggarwal, appearing for Bharti, however, argued before the court that the politician be sent to only one-day judicial custody.

"His matter is listed before the Supreme Court tomorrow for the purpose of mediation between him (Bharti) and his wife... The court should please send him to one-day judicial custody with a direction to the police to produce him before the Supreme Court tomorrow," Aggarwal said.

Bharti told the court that his wife has been called for reconciliation and his presence is needed. "I will be the one who will be confronted," Bharti contended.

The police, however, opposed the defence counsel's request for a direction to produce Bharti before the Supreme Court.

"There is no such specific direction to police from the Supreme Court to produce the accused (Bharti) before it," the police said.

After hearing submissions from both the sides, the court refused to direct the police to produce him before the Supreme Court.

During the hearing, Bharti alleged that the he was mentally harassed by the police in their custody.

The AAP MLA was arrested in the wee hours on September 29 after the Supreme Court ordered him to surrender. Since then, he has been in police custody.

Bharti had on September 23 moved the apex court seeking protection from arrest in the case and a direction to restrain Delhi Police from arresting him till his plea challenging the High Court order is decided.

The Supreme Court, however, had on October 1 denied interim bail to AAP MLA and sought the presence of his wife before it on Monday to explore the possibility of mediation in domestic violence and attempt to murder case lodged by her.

On September 22 the Delhi High Court had rejected Bharti's plea for anticipatory bail, observing that the allegations against him were backed by "documentary proof".

Terming the allegations against AAP MLA by his wife, as "very serious", the court had said she has been tolerating his "cruelty" and "brutal assault".

Dismissing his plea for protection from arrest in the case, the court had said being an MLA he should have shown more "generosity and responsibility towards his wife and children".