Midnight raid: Court order on Ugandan woman's plea Wednesday

A court here Tuesday reserved its order for Wednesday on a Ugandan woman's plea for direction to lodge a separate FIR on her complaint against "unknown accused" for creating ruckus during a midnight raid led by Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti.

Delhi Police last week told the court there was no need for a separate first information report (FIR) on the wwoman's complaint as it pertains to the same incident in which a case has already been registered.

The woman Tuesday pleaded before Metropolitan Magistrate Chetna Singh to reject the Delhi Police submission that there was no need for a separate FIR.

Advocate Rakesh Sherawat, appearing for the Ugandan woman, told the magistrate that the report submitted by the South Delhi deputy commissioner of police was biased and should be rejected.

"The incident is common but the complainant is also a victim in the incident and she was also molested by a few people," the advocate said.

Police Saturday told the court that the present petitioner (the second Ugandan woman) has already been examined in the first case by the investigating officer and her statement has been recorded.

The complainant's counsel opposed the police plea, saying she will be treated as a witness, not as victim, in the first case.

He said the woman will have no right to prosecute the offender because law does not permit a witness to engage the accused's counsel and participate in the trial.

Law Minister Bharti was not named in both complaints.

The advocate appearing for the woman also told the court that his client came to know through the media that the people who took part in the raid were from the Aam Aadmi Party, led by local legislator Somnath Bharti.

The minister had gone to a house in Khirki Extension, which falls within the jurisdiction of the Malviya Nagar police station, after receiving complaints about an alleged prostitution and drug racket in the area.

The second complaint was filed Jan 23 by the Ugandan woman who came to India for medical treatment.

She said more than 10 men carrying wooden sticks threatened her and told her that if she did not open the door of her house, she would be shot. She said the mob referred to her as a bad person and made many objectionable comments.

The complainant said she later recognised on TV some of the people in the mob, who trespassed, assaulted, misbehaved, threatened and molested her.

The woman requested the court to take necessary action against the accused.