Why not cancel bail on wife's plea, Delhi HC asks Somnath Bharti

New Delhi, Dec 1: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the city government's former law minister Somnath Bharti and police asking why his bail should not be cancelled on his wife's plea in a domestic violence case.

Justice P.S. Teji sought response from Bharati and Delhi Police by February 16, 2016, on Bharti's wife Lipika Mitra's plea that sought the court should cancel his bail.

A trial court on October 7 granted bail to Bharti, who was named in an FIR filed on September 10 following a June 10 complaint by Lipika that he had been abusing her since their marriage in 2010.

She claimed he used to beat and torture her and once even tried to kill her.

Bharti, who was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) -- related to attempt to murder, cruelty towards wife, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon, criminal breach of trust, attempt to cause miscarriage without woman's consent, cheating and criminal intimidation -- was on the run soon after police registered the first information report (FIR) against him.

He was arrested on September 29 after the Supreme Court ordered him to surrender.

IANS