AAP's Somnath Bharti was sent to two-day police custody today
Somnath Bharti, the Aam Aadmi Party lawmaker arrested last night over domestic violence and attempt to murder charges, was sent to two days of police custody today after an eventful court hearing during which he made many demands and also lost his temper over his dog.
"The dog is to be examined? Am I to be confronted with the dog?" Mr Bharti, 41, asked in a local court when the prosecution lawyer argued how the lawmaker's pet, a Labrador named "Don", was crucial to police investigations.
Don, who is believed to have just six months to live, was picked up by the police last week in the middle of a manhunt for his master. Mr Bharti, who has been accused by his wife Lipika Mitra of domestic violence and torture, dodged the police for almost two weeks before he surrendered last night on the Supreme Court's orders. He had allegedly left his dog unattended in his office for days.
The police have repeatedly told the court that they need "Don" as evidence, as Mr Bharti's estranged wife has alleged that he ordered the dog to bite her when she was pregnant.
"The police have already taken the dog. Why do they need him now?" Mr Bharti asked in court, taking over the arguments briefly from his lawyers.
Explaining why the dog had been "taken into custody", the prosecutor said: "The dog follows the commands of the master. We need to see whether the dog can bite or not. That's why we need a veterinary expert. Tomorrow in court, they may say he's too old, that (Mr Bharti's wife) may not have been bitten by this dog. How will we prove it without his presence?" Mr Bharti had earlier claimed that his dog can't bite, and his wife was lying.
Mr Bharti, a former Delhi law minister, didn't get his way but he tried. He asked the court for full sleeve clothes - for protection from mosquitoes in dengue season. The AAP lawmaker also asked for an office colleague to stay with him for his two days of police custody.