AAP MLA Som Dutt has been convicted by a Delhi court for assaulting a man during 2015 Assembly election campaign. A special MP MLA court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Samar Vishal held him guilty under section 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt without provocation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Dutt, who represents Sadar Bazar Assembly constituency, and his supporters had beaten up the complainant Sajeev Rana at his residence in Gulabi Bagh on January 10, 2015. “There is no doubt that on January 10, 2015, at around 8 pm, Som Dutt, along with his 50 supporters, went to flat no. 13 where the complainant was present. The complainant was beaten and assaulted by the accused and his associates due to which he suffered grievous injury”, said the court.
An FIR was filed against Dutt at Gulabi Bagh police station in North Delhi in 2015 alleging that he and around 50 of his supporters had come to the residence of Rana while campaigning in the locality. Rana had alleged that when he objected to it, Dutt hit him in his legs with a baseball bat and he was dragged on the road by his supporters who started beating him and caused grievous injuries to him.
Rana’s allegations were denied by Dutt who in turn accused Rana of fighting with him and his supporters under intoxication while they were peacefully campaigning. An FIR was also filed by Dutt against Rana. Charges were also framed by the court against Rana in the case on the allegation of quarrelling with Dutt and his party members when they were campaigning.
The quantum of punishment for the AAP MLA will be pronounced by the court on July 4.
A few days ago, another AAP MLA Manoj Kumar was convicted and sentenced to three months in jail for obstructing the election process at a polling booth in Kalyan Puri area of East Delhi during 2013 Assembly elections.