File Photo of AAP MLA Somnath Bharti
AAP lawmaker Somnath Bharti, wanted in a case of domestic violence with charges that include attempt to murder, showed up at a police station at 2 am on Wednesday, hours after a court said he
could not be arrested at least till Thursday.
Mr Bharti has been accused by his estranged wife Lipika Mitra of
domestic abuse and torture and on Monday, a court put out an arrest warrant against him. Since then, the police say they have not found him.
The 41-year-old took along his
dog "Don", who was named by the police as case property because of an allegation that the lawmaker had ordered his pet to attack his pregnant wife to force a miscarriage.
After his late night visit, Mr Bharti said in the last five days, he had experienced the "supersonic speed" of the Delhi Police.
"The speed in the process and the way my relatives, friends and my clients were called I came to know that they have raided in Agra, am I a terrorist?" he
In a series of tweets last evening, he insisted he was not hiding.
"Last 5 days of experience is worth penning down. Also experienced d supersonic speed of DP, wish they cud use in making Delhi Crime-Free!!!,"
"I don't want to give in to Modi police because their intention was not only to arrest me but also torture."
The Delhi High Court yesterday asked the police not to take any coercive steps against Mr Bharti till Thursday. A lower court had rejected his plea for protection from arrest a day before.
Mr Bharti said the police had used tougher provisions to enable his arrest, as they could no longer arrest him under domestic violence laws.
Mr Bharti, who had a controversial stint as law minister in the previous 49-day AAP government, claimed that the cause of his troubles was that he would not move in with his wife at her home in south-west Delhi as he is a lawmaker from Malviya Nagar and wants to stay in his constituency.