He allegedly assaulted AIIMS security guards during a recent anti-encroachment drive

In another blow to the Aam Aadmi Party, the Delhi Police on Thursday arrested Somnath Bharti, the MLA from Malviya Nagar, for allegedly rioting and assaulting security guards of AIIMS during an anti-encroachment demolition exercise on September 9.

However, unlike most of his other colleagues who have been arrested after registration of FIRs against them over the past few months, Mr. Bharti did not have to spend time in jail.

His bail came around the same time that his colleague, Amanatullah Khan, arrested on Wednesday in a molestation case filed by his relative, too was granted bail by a city court.

Mr. Bharti was granted conditional bail by Saket Court within hours of his arrest, even as the magistrate ordered him to not influence the witnesses, join the ongoing probe whenever ordered to and not commit a similar offence in the future.

While granting bail, the court also observed that the MLA did not attract charges of obstructing public servant from performing the duty as the hospital’s security guards, alleged to be assaulted by the MLA did not come under the definition of public servants.

A senior officer said the decision to press the Indian Penal Code section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) was taken as AIIMS is a government building and the MLA is a public representative and his actions could encourage others to take law in their hands. Mr. Bharti was booked on the complaint by the AIIMS chief security officer who had alleged that the MLA had arrived outside the hospital on the morning of September 9 and began breaking a fence in an unauthorised manner, allegedly to give access to unauthorised persons on the hospital’s premises.