The Supreme Court issued a fresh notice on Tuesday to the Uttar Pradesh government regarding AAP leader Somnath Bharti’s plea for the transfer of a case against him.
Bharti is accused of making derogatory remarks about the condition of hospitals and schools in the state. The case is currently pending before the additional chief judicial magistrate in Sultanpur, but Bharti is seeking to have it moved to the Rouse Avenue Courts in Delhi.
A bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and Aravind Kumar also issued a notice to the complainant and scheduled the matter for a hearing in three weeks.
Previously, on July 3 of last year, the Supreme Court had stayed the proceedings in the Sultanpur court related to Bharti’s case.
Earlier, on April 10, 2023, the court had issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government while imposing an interim stay on the proceedings following Bharti’s request for a transfer.
Bharti faces two separate cases filed in Rae Bareli and Amethi linked to his remarks. He claims these cases were initiated out of political vendetta.
The controversial remarks were made during a press conference in Amethi on January 10, 2021, prompting a local resident, Somnath Sahu, to file an FIR at the Jagdishpur police station in Amethi.
