Aam Admi Party’s former law minister and Malviya Nagar MLA, Somnath Bharti, didn’t turn up before the Delhi Commission for Women despite being summoned by the commission on Friday after his wife filed a domestic violence complaint.
Citing busy schedule due to the ongoing Assembly session, Mr Bharti sent someone else on his behalf and asked for another date.
The commission has now given him another date on July 3 and has warned him that if he fails to turn up then they will go to the Police.
But his wife, Lipika, appeared before the Commission and said that she wants to go ahead with the police complaint.
“There is no chance for reconciliation as he is not going to change.”
Mr Bharti wrote a letter to DCW chairperson, Barkha Singh, stating his reason for not appearing before them.
“As you are aware that in compliance with the constitutional duty entrusted with me by the virtue of myself being the MLA, Malviya Nagar, I am duty bound to attend the ongoing sessions in the Delhi Assembly. I am requesting you to re-schedule the proceedings to any other date after June 30 at 3 p.m.,” the letter read.
His wife said that she did receive a text message from Bharti, where he cited his inability to be present before the panel.
“I knew he would not turn up. He sent the message a few minutes before the scheduled time despite knowing that he has to appear. These are just ways to inconvenience me,” she said.
Three rounds of counselling
The couple has till now undergone three rounds of counselling but his wife said that there are no chances of any reconciliation and, in fact, wants police action against him.
“He did not appear at the first counselling session. He appeared in the other two sessions and the counsel was pushing for a patch up. Even he (Bharti) was asking for a chance saying he will change himself. But I know he will never change, five years is ample time to change,” Mr. Bharti’s wife added.
The Commission has now asked him to appear before it on July 3, failing which the DCW will go to the police
