On Tuesday, 5th November, the Delhi Police filed an FIR against AAP MLA Somnath Bharti for leading a mob that destroyed government property and protected forest at the DDA Park in Hauz Khas, New Delhi. The FIR was registered on the complaint of Delhi Development Authority deputy director SK Meena.
As per the FIR report filed by the Delhi Police under sections 133, 221, 329(4), and 3(5) of the BNS, 2019 and section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, Bharti forced the DDA authorities to allow Chhath Puja celebrations at the DDA park located at Rose Garden in Hauz Khas area, however, the same couldn’t be allowed given the DDA park is designated as a protected forest area under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
After this, Bharti allegedly led a mob of 20-25 unknown persons at around 10:15 am on 5th November and damaged the boundary wall of the park. “They, with a prior hatched conspiracy, reached the spot with JCB machine. The security deployed at the park tried to stop them but to no avail,” the complaint copy read.
FIR registered against AAP MLA @attorneybharti for "Destruction of Protected Forest Area Flora and Fauna in DDA Park in Hauz Khas.”
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) November 6, 2024
And these thugs talk of Environment!@ArvindKejriwal @AtishiAAP @AapKaGopalRai &
Penchkas @Saurabh_MLAgk pic.twitter.com/DqYscbHibs
The complaint further stated that by using the JCB machine, the Bharti-led mob destroyed public property and resorted to criminal trespass. It is also believed that Bharti instigated the mob to destory the public property and threaten the government staff on duty.
“This act not only constitutes illegal entry into the government property but also resulted in substantial damage to the flora and fauna of the protected forest area. Somnath Bharti and the mob led by him have committed violation of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 that mandates strict punishment,” the FIR read.
The FIR has been filed based on the complaint registered by SK Meena who is the dy director for DDA. He stated that no non-forest activity is allowed in the area which is designated as forest land, and the DDA park in Hauz Khas is protected under the Forest Act, 1980. “DDA was not in position to allot the land for Chhath Puja,” he confirmed.
Noatbly, this is not the first time when Bharti has been booked by the police. In the year 2018, he was booked by the women’s police for allegedly misbehaving with a female employee (the anchor) of a private news channel. During a live debate on the chilli powder attack against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, tensions escalated as the anchor questioned the MLA. The discussion took a heated turn, with the MLA accusing the anchor of acting as a spokesperson for other political parties and misusing her platform. He allegedly suggested she “become a prostitute.”
In her complaint, the female journalist accused the MLA of using offensive language, stating that she was simply doing her job by questioning him when he began to verbally abuse her. “He also threatened to get the news channel shut down. Bharti’s attitude and the language he used was insulting,” she said demanding severe punishment for the AAP MLA.
In the year 2019, his wife had booked a domestic violence case against him saying that he had harrased, cheated and criminally intimidated her. The Delhi Court then charged him with the offence causing miscarriage without the woman’s consent, causing hurt by dangerous weapons and criminal breach of trust under the IPC.
In the year 2021, he was sentenced to 2 years in jail by a court in a 2016 case of assaulting the security staff at AIIMS and causing damage to hospital property. On September 9, 2016, Bharti and approximately 300 others used a JCB operator to dismantle the fence of a boundary wall at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The case was filed following a complaint by RS Rawat, Chief Security Officer of AIIMS.
In the given case, an FIR has been filed. Further details are awaited.
