New Delhi, November 21: A woman journalist has filed a complaint against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Somnath Bharti for asking her to become a prostitute. The scribe, an anchor of a Hindi news channel, also accused Somnath Bharti of calling her a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) agent. Based on the woman's complaint, an FIR was registered against the AAP legislator.

In her complaint, the woman journalist said Bharti hurled abuses at her and asked her to become a prostitute. Dismissing all the allegations, the AAP MLA threatened to file a defamation case against the news channel and its anchor. He said the channel ran a tempered video of the chilli powder attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi: 5-member Panel to Look into Menace of Dogs, Monkeys.

Bharati was booked under sections 504 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code. While Section 504 lists the offence of heaping “intentional insult with an intent to provoke breach of the peace”, section 509 pertains to “insulting a woman’s modesty through words, gestures or an act,”. While the AAP leader refuted charges, party spokesperson disapproved his alleged behaviour. Aam Aadmi Party to Contest All 119 Assembly Seats in Telangana.

In September, a Delhi court ordered framing of charges against Bharti for allegedly leading a mob that assaulted an African woman here in 2014. Earlier, an FIR lodged against him by his wife for the alleged offences of attempt to murder, harassment cheating, criminal intimidation, causing miscarriage without the woman’s consent, causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and criminal breach of trust under the IPC.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 21, 2018 08:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).