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Swati Maliwal row: Arvind Kejriwal aide Bibhav Kumar's second bail plea dismissed by Delhi court
A Delhi court dismissed the second bail application of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar in the Swati Maliwal assault case.
Delhi Tis Hazari Court on Friday dismissed the second bail application of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal inside the AAP convenor's residence.
This is the second regular bail plea by Kumar which was rejected by the court. His first bail application was submitted on May 27.
Bibhav Kumar's bail application was filed by Advocate Sanjeev Nasiar, the head of Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) legal cell. On May 31, Delhi's Tiz Hazari court remanded Bibhav Kumar in 14-day judicial custody in connection with the alleged assault on Maliwal.
Kumar was arrested by the Delhi Police on May 18 for allegedly assaulting Swati Maliwal. He will be produced before a court when his judicial custody ends, on June 14.
The Delhi Police last month sought an extension of Kumar's judicial custody for proper investigation of the case. The cops also alleged that the accused is in a position to tamper with the evidence, interfere with the investigation, and make threats to any of the witnesses.
On May 28, Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Atul Srivastava submitted that the accused formatted his mobile phone and refused to share the password. It was also submitted that police have received an interim report from a forensic expert on CCTV footage. The accused is seen entering the area where the DVR was there. He remained there for 20 minutes. There are chances of tampering with the evidence, the APP argued.
In her FIR, former DCW chief Swati Maliwal alleged that Bibhav Kumar slapped her 7-8 times, kicked her in the chest and abdomen and hit her “with full force” on May 13, when she went to meet Arvind Kejriwal at his residence in Delhi.
According to the medical examination conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi, Swati Maliwal had multiple bruises on her body, including her left leg, and her right cheek below the eye.
After the assault, she alleged victim shaming by the Aam Aadmi Party, saying that there were attempts to make her the “villain” and Kumar the “hero” in the case.
Maliwal told ANI, “I am very hurt and saddened by the behaviour of Arvind Kejriwal. I and my entire family are in trauma because I have been working since 2006. I have been working since I had no position or prestige. There were no governments in the two states then. I have been working since then, with passion, selflessness, and honesty.”
(With inputs from agencies)
