Won't lodge fresh FIR in midnight raid case: Police to court

Delhi Police today told a court here that it would not lodge a fresh FIR on a complaint filed by another African woman who has claimed that she was molested during last week's midnight raid by a group allegedly led by Law Minister Somnath Bharti.

"Present petitioner has already been examined in the (FIR lodged on January 19) case by the investigating officer and her statement under section 164 of CrPC has also been recorded on January 21.

"Hence, no fresh FIR was registered as the matter pertains to the same incident in which the case has been registered," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) B S Jaiswal said in a reply filed before Metropolitan Magistrate Chetna Singh.

The DCP also said that the complainant has already been made a witness in the FIR which was lodged on January 19 after the court's direction.

The reply was filed today after the magistrate had earlier sought the response of police on whether the complainant had approached them.

However, submissions by the police were opposed by advocate Rakesh Sherawat, who appeared for the Ugandan woman and said that she was molested by a group of people during the midnight raid on the intervening night of January 15-16.

"She herself is the victim of the incident, so a separate FIR is required to be lodged. She was molested by a group of 9-10 people. Until the investigation is not done separately, how can it be established that she was molested by whom," the lawyer told the court.The court, however, directed the advocate to file written submission in response to the reply filed by police.

"After you file the reply, I will look into it," the magistrate said and listed the matter for January 28.