Delhi court acquits ex-AAP MLA in 2014 case of 'assault' on African women

A Delhi court on Friday acquitted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Somnath Bharti in a 2014 case where he was accused of assaulting women from African countries.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal acquitted Bharti from the charge levelled against him in an FIR lodged at the Malviya Nagar police station, saying the statements of the witnesses were inadmissible as they failed to depose before the court.

The judge underlined that the prosecution had failed to prove its case.


A reasoned order is awaited.

According to the prosecution, Bharti and others assaulted women from African countries on the intervening night of January 15 and 16, 2014.

Bharti, the then law minister of Delhi, had claimed that the women were engaged in illegal activities.

A court had framed charges against Bharti and others under various penal provisions, including for rioting, criminal trespass, outraging a woman's modesty and obstructing a public servant.