Swati Maliwal assault case: Bibhav Kumar sent to 5-day police custody

Swati Maliwal assault case: Bibhav was arrested from Kejriwal’s residence at Flagstaff Road in north Delhi’s Civil Lines earlier on Saturday.

Delhi's Tis Hazari Court on Saturday sent Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar to five days in police custody in connection with the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha MP and former Delhi Women Commission chief Swati Maliwal.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar being brought to Tis Hazari Court in the case of alleged assault on AAP MP Swati Maliwal (PTI)

Kumar was arrested from Kejriwal’s residence at Flagstaff Road in north Delhi’s Civil Lines earlier on Saturday while his anticipatory bail petition was subsequently observed as becoming "infructuous" by the court.

Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar arrested from Delhi CM house in Maliwal assault case

The Delhi Police produced Kumar before Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal and had sought seven-day custody to question him in connection with the assault case. However, the court sentenced him five-day custody.

Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) for the Delhi Police said Kumar was arrested because the complainant “is a public figure and member of Parliament” and that the prosecution feared Kumar could influence witnesses since he had gone back to the CM’s residence.

Meanwhile, Kumar's lawyer said the entire incident was a concocted one and his client was not even given a notice before being taken into custody. “The entire place is covered by CCTV to get into the office and meet CM you need to have prior appointment and she did not have any prior appointment … There was a security breach and a report was filed by the security personnel,” he said.

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The AAP MP in her complaint has alleged Kumar “slapped” her “at least seven to eight times” without any provocation and “brutally dragged” her while “kicking” her, forcing her to fall and hit her head on a table at the CM’s residence on May 13. Kumar has filed a counter complaint, accusing Maliwal of forcefully entering the CM’s premises and using abusive language.

The Delhi Police on Thursday registered the FIR against Kumar under the Indian Penal Code’s Section 354 (assault or criminal force with the intent to outrage modesty), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman), and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt).

Meanwhile, a political slugfest has also triggered after AAP leader Atishi said that Maliwal was sent to the Kejriwal's residence by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a part of a conspiracy so that "false accusations" could be levelled against the Delhi CM. The saffron party has dismissed the charge.

Maliwal slapped 7-8 times, kicked in chest, stomach, pelvis: FIR

"Ever since Arvind Kejriwal has got bail, the BJP is rattled. Due to this, the BJP hatched a conspiracy, under which Swati Maliwal was sent to Arvind Kejriwal's house on the morning of May 13. Swati Maliwal was the face and pawn of this conspiracy. She went there unannounced without an appointment. They intended to accuse the CM but the CM was not there at that time and he got saved," Atishi said.

However, Maliwal hit back at her own party, and said, “The leaders who joined the party yesterday dubbed a party worker active for 20 years as a BJP agent. Two days ago, the party had accepted the truth in a press conference and now a U-turn.”

(With inputs from agencies)