Nine women from African nations had alleged that a mob led by Bharti barged into their residence and assaulted and abused them, making derogatory remarks. (File Photo)A Delhi court Friday acquitted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and three-time Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharti in connection with the midnight raid at South Delhi’s Khirki Extension in January 2014, where women from countries in Africa had been targeted.“The statements of the victims are deemed to be inadmissible as they did not come to court. Any instance of unlawful assembly could not be proved. The prosecution has failed to prove its case,” said Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal of Rouse Avenue Court orally.A detailed order in the case is awaited.Reacting to the verdict while standing outside gate number 6 of Rouse Avenue Court, Bharti said: “There was no raid. Is telling the police to take action illegal? People who want to improve society are targeted.”Glad to share an extremely good news:After a considerably long ordeal of 12 long years, all accused including myself have been acquitted honourably in the famous Khirki case of the year 2014 which was lodged against me and 17 other residents of Khirki, Jahapanah and Hauzrani… pic.twitter.com/8ZprXDNgPu— Somnath Bharti सोमनाथ भारती (@attorneybharti) April 24, 2026The case dates back to the intervening night of January 15 and 16 in 2014. Bharti, who was the law minister under the AAP government at the time, had allegedly led a group of persons that harassed and assaulted the women.An FIR had been lodged by the police on a court’s direction after a Ugandan woman had approached it in January the same year seeking a criminal case. Bharti and 17 others were booked in the case.Nine women from African nations had alleged that a mob led by Bharti barged into their residence and assaulted and abused them, making derogatory remarks. Some alleged they were called prostitutes, were asked whether they hid drugs, and had their travel tickets torn.Charges against Bharti had been framed under sections 147/149 (rioting), 354 (molestation), 354C (voyeurism), 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation), 143 (unlawful assembly), 509 (outraging a woman’s modesty), 153A (promoting enmity between two groups or religions), 323 (assault), 452 (house trespass), 427 (criminal trespass) and 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023. Professional Background Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University. Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories. Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts. Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials. Recent notable articles In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories. 1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey. 2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation. 3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police. Signature Style Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read More © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:legal news indiaSomnath Bharti raid