E-Paper
Delhi judge sends Bibhav Kumar in judicial custody for 4 days on police request
Bibhav Kumar was arrested from the chief minister’s house on May 18 and remanded in police custody for five days
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Friday remanded chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s aide, Bibhav Kumar, in judicial custody for four days following a request by Delhi police that investigators may need to question him again after receiving forensic reports in the alleged assault case involving Swati Maliwal, Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha member.
Bibhav Kumar was arrested from the chief minister’s house on May 18 and remanded in police custody for five days. At Friday’s hearing at the end of his remand, the Delhi police asked metropolitan magistrate Gaurav Goyal to send him to jail for only four days and not 14 days as is the usual practice, because he may be needed for further investigation.
“After receipt of the report from the experts, accused may be required for confrontation to proceed with the investigation and to reach to a logical conclusion. Some investigation is being carried out by the members of the investigating team in Mumbai and are likely to return Delhi soon with some evidence and the accused will be required again for confrontation. Accordingly, the accused may please be remanded to 4 days judicial custody remand,” the police application said.
Kumar’s counsel Rajiv Mohan argued for a shorter period and sought his release on bail.
The court accepted the police request and remanded Kumar in custody till May 28. The magistrate also issued notice to police on the bail application and listed the plea for hearing on May 27.
Rajiv Mohan also moved an application seeking disclosure of the seized evidence and preservation of CCTV footage at the chief minister’s residence. The request was opposed by additional public prosecutor Atul Srivastava, who argued that the prayers were not relevant at this stage. The court reserved orders on this application, with a decision expected on May 28.
On May 13, Maliwal called the Delhi Police and reported that she was first stopped from meeting the CM and then assaulted at his residence by his staff. While she did not initially file a complaint, a first information report (FIR) was registered on May 16. The incident has led to a political battle between the AAP and BJP with the former claiming that Maliwal acted on the behest of the BJP, and the latter questioned women’s safety in Delhi.
In the FIR, Maliwal alleged that Kumar slapped her 7-8 times without any provocation at the chief minister’s residence when she went to meet Kejriwal on May 13, pounced on her, kicked her chest and pelvis, and deliberately pulled up her shirt.
The FIR charged Kumar under sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 354B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.
On May 17, Kumar also lodged a complaint through an email accusing Maliwal of unauthorised entry, verbal abuse and threats while also claiming the BJP’s involvement in the matter.
