Very sad with whatever is happening: Bharti's wife after FIR

A day after an first information report was registered against Aam Aadmi Party Member of  Legislative Assembly Somnath Bharti over a complaint of domestic violence and attempt to murder, his wife Lipika Mitra on Friday said that although she was "not happy with the development", she had to do "all this" to come out of the alleged abuse.

Accompanied by former DCW chairperson Barkha Shukla Singh, Lipika today met Senior Special Commissioner of Police Deepak Mishra (Law and Order) at the Delhi police headquarters.

The purpose of the meeting, she said, was to thank the police for taking action on her complaint. However, she remarked after the meeting that she was "very sad with whatever is happening".

"What am I achieving ultimately; I will lose my husband, my children will lose their father. I am not happy with the development, but had to do all this to come out of the abuse," Lipika said.

"Even though it has taken three months for them to file an FIR, they have now done the needful. My husband is a powerful man and has the backing of the chief minister. But for the CM, Lipika Mitra doesn't exist. So, I have come to express my gratitude to them (the Delhi police)," Lipika said, adding that police officials have assured her that they will hold a speedy probe.

Asked to comment on the attempt to murder charge in the FIR, Lipika said, "He (Bharti) had tried to strangulate me when I was pregnant. These are facts, and I have given enough evidence to the police."

The FIR was registered yesterday at Dwarka North police station under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 498(a)(cruelty towards partner in marriage), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC, Joint Commissioner of Police (South-West) Dependra Pathak had said.

The Delhi police had sent a notice on Thursday night to Bharti asking him to come for questioning today to Dwarka North police station.

Following the registration of the FIR, a Delhi court had on recorded the statement of Lipika before Metropolitan Magistrate Manu Goel Kharb in-chamber under Section 164 of the CrPC.