Court frames molestation charge against Somnath Bharti

Former Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti will face trial in connection with the 2014 midnight raid at Khirki Extension here, with a Delhi court on Tuesday framing molestation charges against him.

An FIR was lodged by police in the case on the court's direction after an Ugandan woman filed a plea on January 18, 2014. She had sought lodging of criminal case against unknown persons in the incident.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal passed the directions after the AAP politician and others pleaded not guilty and said they will face trial.

The court said there was a sufficient prima facie case against all the accused persons to put them on trial.

The charges were framed for the offences of molestation, assault, threat, promoting enmity, rioting and others under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The charges under sections 147/149 (rioting), 354 (molestation), 354C (voyeurism), 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation), 143 (unlawful assembly), 509 (outraging a woman's modesty), 153A (promoting enmity between two groups or religions), 323 (assault), 452 (house trespass), 427 (criminal trespass) and 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) of the IPC were framed against the accused.

According to the charge sheet, on the intervening night of January 15-16, 2014, Bharti and 16 others reached Khirki Extension, Malviya Nagar and allegedly assaulted Ugandan women living in rented accommodation there.