Police pick up Somnath Bharti's brother, private secretary for questioning

New Delhi: Hunting for controversial AAP MLA and former Delhi minister Somnath Bharti, Delhi Police this evening picked up his brother Loknath Bharti and private secretary for questioning regarding his whereabouts.

The AAP MLA faces arrest following the rejection of his anticipatory bail plea by Delhi High Court in a case of attempt to murder and domestic violence lodged against him by his estranged wife, Lipika Mitra.

After the dismissal of Bharti's plea, Delhi Police today raided his office and residence, but failed to find him. Joint Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Dependra Pathak said that while Gurpreet, Somnath Bharti's private secretary, was picked up from the MLA's Malviya Nagar office, his brother -- whose name is reportedly present in the complaint by Mitra -- was picked up from his Vasant Kunj residence.

Both were taken to Dwarka North police station and questioned about the AAP MLA's whereabouts. Police are also trying to ascertain whether they had sheltered the MLA, who has been allegedly evading arrest, said
Pathak.

Meanwhile, police are also trying to identify others that might have sheltered the former Delhi Minister, who is not suspected to have left Delhi by now.

"Somanth Bharti is evading arrest and he is being tracked by police. Harbouring him is a criminal offence," said Pathak.

Earlier, Pathak had said, "He is evading arrest. We sent two police teams to his office at Dwarka and residence at Malviya Nagar, but he was not present at either. When we tried to call him, his phone was switched off."

Soon after high court today declined to grant him anticipatory bail, advocate Vijay Aggarwal, who appeared for the MLA, told media that he can be arrested, "but there are other legal remedies and many doors are still open".