Delhi court clears AAP MLA in suicide abetment case

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday discharged AAP MLA Sharad Chauhan in a 2016 case of alleged abetment of suicide committed by a woman party member, saying simply because he was the local MLA it cannot be considered as incriminating circumstances against him.
The court, however, directed to frame charges of abetment of suicide against Chauhan’s associate Ramesh Bhardwaj, and said there was sufficient prima facie evidence to hold him responsible.The woman had filed a complaint against Bhardwaj for alleged sexual harassment a month before her death.
Special Judge MK Nagpal said there was no prima facie evidence or material on record to show the existence of any criminal conspiracy between Bhardwaj and the other accused people for abetting the suicide by the deceased.
“Simply because A-2 (Chauhan) was the local MLA and A-1 (Bhardwaj) or any other accused was close to him or his name is there in above two messages, these cannot be considered as incriminating circumstances against him so as to hold him prima facie responsible for the offence of abetment of suicide by the deceased, either in pursuance of said criminal conspiracy or individually,” the court said in the order.
It also discharged Mohan Lal Verma, Sanjay, Amit Bhardwaj, Rajnikant and Mukhtiyar Singh.
The court said there was sufficient prima facie evidence to hold Ramesh Bhardwaj responsible for commission of suicide by deceased and framed charges under Section 306 of the IPC. “So far as the role of A-1 is concerned, it can be seen that by his repeated acts and conduct, he had left no other option open for the deceased, except to take her life because even after the incident of sexual harassment, he remained continuously harassing and threatening the deceased in various ways and was trying to force her to come to a compromising term with him,” it said.
“There is sufficient prima facie evidence on record to show that threats were extended by him during his visits at her parlour and school, telephonically through one Mangal Singh and also by dropping of a threat letter at her parlour,” the court said.
According to the prosecution, the woman had consumed a poisonous substance at her home in North-West Delhi’s Narela and died during treatment at LNJP Hospital. In her complaint, the woman had also alleged that the accused was being protected by Chauhan.