LG to send Bharti raid report to Centre

Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung appears to be preparing to send a report to Union Home Ministry over the findings of a judicial panel that inquired into the controversial raid on homes of nationals from African countries by then AAP minister Somnath Bharti over alleged prostitution.

Raj Niwas sources said on Wednesday after Jung’s report, on the controversial “raid” by Bharti in January in Khirki Extension area, reaches the Home Ministry, the problems for Bharti may escalate along with the chances of registration of an FIR.Sources hinted that the B L Garg Committee had made some negative observations which may give weight to allegations of wrongdoing by Bharti during the “raid”.

Former Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta claimed in a statement that the Garg Committee report had found Bharti guilty under 10 sections of the criminal law, including trespassing, causing mischief, assaulting with intent to outrage modesty, rioting and criminal intimidation, among others. According to sources, the Garg report revolved around the claims made by Bharti and counter claims by police and noted the procedure that should have been followed to handle the situation during the raid by the former minister for what he called “exposing” alleges sex and drugs racket linked to women from Africa.

Soon after the report was submitted to Jung in February, some of the policemen against whom AAP leaders had levelled charges were allowed to rejoin duty at new posts.

Apart from the Bharti incident, the panel also investigated into alleged laxity by policemen in a bride-burning case in west Delhi and the gang-rape of a Danish woman near New Delhi railway station in January.

Malviya Nagar SHO was sent on leave over the Khirki incident and PCR van in-charge of Paharganj was sent on leave over the Danish woman’s gang-rape.

Former Women and Child Minister Rakhi Birla said police had refused to arrest the accused even days after a woman was allegedly set on fire by her in-laws in west Delhi.

While police accused the AAP ministers of interfering in their work, Kejriwal had denied any wrongdoing by his ministers.

Kejriwal even sat on a two-day dharna near Parliament in January to demand the suspension of lax policemen. He ended his agitation when two policemen were sent on leave, pending inquiry by the Garg Committee.

In the Bharti’s raid matter, a few Ugandan women had alleged harassment by the area resident during the former minister’s action. Soon after the incident in south Delhi, the area SHO was sent on leave.

The women from Uganda said they had been assaulted by unidentified men who forced them to undergo medical tests.

Four separate complaints were lodged with Malviya Nagar police station and a court on January 18, directed police to register an FIR and conduct a detailed investigation.Bharti, in his defence, accused police in Malviya Nagar of virtual complicity with a gang involved in sex and drugs in Khirki Extension.

The SHO of Malviya Nagar police station had refused to raid a house rented to African people on the orders of Bharti.