Court Quashes Corruption Plea Against Somnath Bharti
Saket District Court dismisses corruption complaint against former Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti, citing lack of jurisdiction.
In a significant legal development, the Saket District Court has dismissed a corruption complaint filed against former Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti and 13 others. The court ruled that the complaint was not maintainable, effectively shutting down the request to register a First Information Report (FIR) under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.
Lack of Jurisdiction Leads to Dismissal
The decision was delivered by Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Bhanu Pratap Singh. The court observed that it lacked the necessary jurisdiction to entertain complaints specifically filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act. During the proceedings, the court noted that the counsel for the complainant was unable to provide a legal basis or assistance on how the application could be maintained before that particular court.
"This Court is of the view that the present application is not maintainable before this Court as this Court does not have jurisdiction over complaints under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Accordingly, the present application stands dismissed," JMFC Singh ordered.
The Allegations: Bribery and Illegal Construction
The complaint, filed by Sanjeev Saini under section 175 (3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), targeted a group of 14 individuals. Among the accused were former Law Minister Somnath Bharti and the Station House Officer (SHO) of Malviya Nagar.
The core of the allegations centered on the illegal construction of a concrete road over a property identified as a 'Jhod' (Pond). The complainant alleged the following:
- The concrete road was constructed despite prior information and complaints regarding the property.
- The construction was carried out under the direct instructions of the former MLA.
- The project was allegedly carried out under the protection of the Malviya Nagar SHO.
- It was further alleged that the former MLA and the SHO accepted bribes from other accused persons due to their influential positions.
Legal Representation
The complainant, Sanjeev Saini, was represented in court by advocates Shishant and Sameer Khan. Despite the detailed allegations of bribery and misuse of power, the procedural hurdle of jurisdiction proved fatal to the plea, leading to its complete dismissal by the magistrate.