A magistrate today recused herself from hearing former Delhi law minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Somnath Bharti's midnight raid case after being annoyed over his counsel's conduct of using "unparliamentary language" and "insulting the court".
Metropolitan Magistrate Niti Phutela recused herself after Bharti's counsel Deepak Khosla started "raising his voice" and "ignored the order of the court" alleging that he has "no faith" in this court.
The heated arguments took place after the magistrate pronounced her order in the open court terming Bharti's plea for registration of FIR against Delhi policemen as "pre-mature" which infuriated the counsel who pleaded for addressing the concern of the court again.
Rejecting Khosla's allegations, the magistrate said, "It is clarified to the counsel for applicant that the matter was fixed for seeking clarification, if any/order and this court is not required to seek any clarification. Hence the orders are pronounced and no further arguments are required for the same."
Irked by the counsel's conduct, the magistrate in her order recorded that, "counsel for applicant started using unparliamentary language and started insulting the court by saying that the present court is using taunting language and the present court can improve or change her vocabulary".
"Considering the conduct of counsel for applicant that he has no faith in the court, which he actually submits before the court during the time this order is being dictated. Hence this court deems it fit not to proceed further in the present case. At this stage, counsel for applicant expresses his gratitude, saying he actually has no faith in the court," the magistrate said.
The court was hearing the case in which the police filed a charge sheet on September 27 saying that "Nine African women were victims of molestation and manhandling by a mob led by the then Law Minister Somnath Bharti."
The case relates to the alleged midnight raid by Bharti and his supporters in which he has been named in a charge sheet along with 17 others for purportedly molesting some African women.
