Aam Admi Party MLA Somnath Bharti has been summoned by a Delhi court in a criminal defamation complaint filed by a woman journalist, Ranjana Dwivedi, last year. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal issued the summon to Bharti to appear on April 10 for allegedly calling journalist Dwivedi with objectionable names and hurling abuses at her during a television debate show.
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The court said that sufficient grounds exist to proceed against the AAP MLA. “Allegations were prima facie defamatory and referred to Dwivedi making her an aggrieved person… There exist sufficient grounds to proceed against Bharti. Accordingly, Bharti is summoned for commission of offence of defamation,” said the court. It was alleged in the criminal defamation complaint filed by Dwivedi that during a TV show held last year Bharti had replied to the questions of public interest put up by Dwivedi, in a very “defamatory”, “arrogant” and “contemptuous” manner using “abusive” language.
Bharti, who was invited to speak on the incident of throwing Red Chilli powder on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, had insulted the journalist by saying bh*dwagiri’ karna band karo’ and ‘dh*ndhe pe baith jao‘. He had also repeatedly accused the journalist of doing dalali for BJP. Unfortunately, instead of condemning Bharti’s comments, the Delhi CM came out in his defence by dragging PM Modi’s name in it.
The FIR was lodged in the matter on November 21, 2018 for insulting and outraging the modesty of a woman.