Supreme Court ignores Somnath Bharti's plea for bail

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday ignored Somnath Bharti's complaints about police high-handedness in custody to plead for bail, even as it asked the former Delhi law minister's wife to formally state if she was willing for mediation to sort out their marital problems.

On Thursday, Bharti's lawyer Gopal Subramanium sought bail for him, arguing that Bharti had surrendered the very day the top court asked him to do so and was willing to cooperate with the investigations.

"If a person is willing to cooperate why should he not be given liberty at the end of the day? This looks very odd," he said.

But Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi resisted the argument on behalf of Delhi Police. Subramanium was quick to take umbrage to the appearance of the senior most law officer in an anticipatory bail matter, suggesting perhaps that there was more than what met the eye.

Bharti was humiliated in custody and was told to sleep on the floor in the lockup, his lawyer complained. The AG resisted any attempt to release Bharti on bail, but said he would not object mediation between the couple.