A Special Court in Delhi has recently sentenced AAP Leader Somnath Bharti for two years for the AIIMS assault case of 2016 (State vs Somnath Bharti). In this case, Mr. Bharathi is alleged to have been part of the mob that tore down a boundary wall of an AIIMS with a JCB. Four others were also accused namely Daleep Jha, Jagat Saini, Rakesh Pandey, and Sandeep, but charges against them could not be proved. The MLA tried to justify the demolition by saying that the AIIMS was illegally occupying the public property, so it had to be taken down. During the commotion, Mr. Bharathi also is said to have assaulted the security guard of the AIIMS. The defense tried to prove the guard is not a public servant. The court struck down the argument by stating that the AIIMS security staff was performing the delegated duties of a public servant and so is seen as one under Section 21 IPC. The Bench comprising Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Ravinder Kumar Pandey stated that the MLA was guilty of charges and sentenced him to 2 years of imprisonment. However, bail was granted, which enabled Mr. Bharti to appeal before the high court against the conviction and jail term.
