Lieutenant Governor has reportedly cleared action against Somnath Bharti for controversial raid in 2014
Former Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti may now face action for his controversial raid targeting African women at a south Delhi colony in January, 2014.
Sources say his prosecution has been cleared by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.
The Delhi police filed a chargesheet against the 42-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lawmaker in September.
In December, 2014, the Delhi High Court had set aside an order holding Mr Bharti guilty of racial prejudice.
Mr Bharti, the law minister in the previous 49-day government of Arvind Kejriwal, had challenged an order by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) holding him guilty of "racial prejudice and unlawful acts" during the raid he led in his constituency. Ugandan women were allegedly abused over local complaints of a sex and drug trafficking ring. Mr Bharti was widely criticized for the late night raid and accused by the women of harassing them.
AAP fielded Mr Bharti from the same constituency for the Delhi election but did not include him in its new cabinet. The party has stood by Mr Bharti and said he only stepped in on the request of local people and tried to help them in busting a "prostitution and drug racket".