A local court in Delhi has convicted Aam Aadmi Party leader Somnath Bharti under rioting, damaging public property and obstructing a public servant from discharging his duty in connection to the AIIMS staff assault case.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Pandey noted, “Court is of the considered view that prosecution has duly proved its case beyond all reasonable doubt against accused Som Nath Bharti regarding charges of an offence punishable under section 323/353 read with Section 149 IPC and charge of an offence punishable under section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 and charge of an offence punishable under section 147 IPC read with Section 149 IPC and he is held guilty and convicted for the same.”
The court has acquitted the four other accused namely Jagat Saini, Daleep Jha, Sandeep alias Sonu and Rakesh Pandey from all the charges.
“The security staff of the AIIMS were performing the delegated duties of public servant and are duly covered under the definition of Public Servant. Hence, the defence of the accused that the security staff of the AIIMS are not the public servant is discarded and not accepted,” the court said.
Reportedly, on September 9, 2016, AIIMS Chief Security Officer RS Rawat lodged a complaint against MLA Somnath Bharti and his 300 supporters for misbehaving and assaulting the hospital staff.
“Bharti, around 9:45 am on September 9, provoked the mob to damage the fence of government property (AIIMS),” said the complaint filed by RS Rawat. The complaint also stated that Bharti gave permission to unauthorized persons with JCBs to get inside AIIMS. He also accused him and others of encroaching land and disrupting peace in the hospital.
Two other FIRs were registered against the MLA on January 12 over his objectionable comments against Uttar Pradesh and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath following an ink attack on him.
