Somnath Bharti and his dog go missing, as Delhi police arrives with arrest warrant

Former Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti has gone missing after a court on Monday dismissed his anticipatory bail plea and another issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him in a domestic violence and attempt-to-murder case filed by his wife. According to an NDTV report, the Delhi Police has searched the office of his party and is also looking for his dog, who had bitten his wife. [caption id=“attachment_2434658” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Somnath Bharti. Image courtesy: Facebook[/caption] Lipika Mitra, Bharti’s wife, had filed a complaint of domestic violence with Delhi Commission for Women on 10 June alleging that her husband had been abusing her since they were married in 2010. She had also lodged a police complaint in this regard. NDTV quot_ed_ a police officer as saying, “We are waiting for him to join the probe… We are searching for the dog because apparently it bit her during the struggle while the complainant was being strangled.” Meanwhile, Bharti on Tuesday moved the Delhi High Court seeking protection from arrest in connection with a domestic violence and attempt-to-murder case filed by his wife. A bench of Justices BD Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva agreed to hear Bharti’s plea after his counsel, senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, informed the court that the matter is urgent and there is every chance of his arrest. On Monday, Bharti’s plea for anticipatory bail was rejected by Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sanjay Garg observing that it was the second complaint lodged against the MLA by Mitra, who had alleged that he did not mend his conduct despite assurances made before the Crime Against Women Cell. Later in the day, the Delhi Police moved an application seeking issuance of NBW against Bharti before Metropolitan Magistrate Manika, which was allowed. The ASJ, while rejecting anticipatory bail to Bharti, had accepted submissions of the Special Public Prosecutor that allegations against the lawmaker were serious and there was a possibility of his tampering with evidence. The court had also rejected the MLA’s contention that attempt to murder charge was not made out, while referring to an allegation in the FIR that Bharti tried to strangle his wife and unleashed his dog on her knowing that she was seven months pregnant. Bharti’s wife, who was also present in the court room, had said, “My small kids are suffering. I was left to die in front of them. I love my husband that is why I suffered the abuse for five years,” while refusing the offer of the court for mediation. With PTI inputs