NEW DELHI: Delhi Police detained Arvind Kejriwal’s PA, Bibhav Kumar, following Swati Maliwal’s assault allegations, with conflicting medical reports and AAP denying charges.
The Delhi Police on Saturday took Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal’s PA, Bibhav Kumar, into custody after a complaint was filed by Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal stating Kumar assaulted her when she went to meet Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal at his residence at 6 Flagstaff Road, New Delhi, on May 13.
According to the first information report (FIR) lodged by Maliwal at Civil Lines Police Station, while she was waiting to meet Kejriwal at his residence, Bibhav approached her and, without provocation, began to attack her. Maliwal claims he slapped her at least 7-8 times while she kept screaming.
“I pushed him away to defend myself. At that moment, he lunged at me, dragged me brutally, and deliberately pulled up my shirt. I told him that I was on my period, but he didn’t stop and continued to assault me, kicking and punching my chest, stomach, and pelvis. I was in severe pain and kept asking him to stop,” she said in the FIR.
According to Maliwal, after the attack, she called 112 to report the incident. When Kumar realized she had dialed 112, he left the scene. Bibhav then returned with security personnel from the main gate of the Chief Minister’s camp office. They came and, on Vibhav’s instructions, asked her to leave.
In the case of the alleged assault on MP Swati Maliwal, a team of Delhi Police, along with forensic experts, visited Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence on Friday evening. The team stayed at the residence for about an hour. Later, the police brought Maliwal to the CM’s residence and recreated the crime scene.
In contrast, the medical report contradicts Maliwal’s allegation of kicking her in the chest, stomach, and pelvic region. AIIMS Hospital Delhi’s medical report stated that Maliwal had two notable bruises. The first bruise is located on the proximal left leg, dorsal aspect (the top surface of the foot that faces up when standing) and measures approximately 3×2 cm. In contrast, the second bruise is situated on the right cheek, just below the right eye, and is approximately 2×2 cm.
After initially accepting that Maliwal was assaulted by Kejriwal’s PA, Bibhav, AAP has now changed its stance.
Party leader Atishi Marlena has dismissed Sanjay Singh’s statement as being based on incomplete information, stating that the newly released video shows Maliwal was threatening the people present at the scene including Bibhav. Atishi further counters Maliwal’s claims, saying, that Maliwal conspired to frame the Chief Minister at the behest of the BJP.
“The video related to this incident has surfaced, which clearly shows that Maliwal neither sustained head injuries nor had her clothes torn, nor was she assaulted. BJP is plotting against Arvind Kejriwal ever since he was granted bail. The BJP orchestrated the incident, using Swati Maliwal. They intended to accuse the Chief Minister, but he was not present at the time, so they failed,” she said at a press conference on Friday.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal’s PA, Bibhav Kumar, has also filed a complaint with the Delhi Police. According to the complaint by Bibhav, Maliwal forcibly entered the Chief Minister’s residence when Kejriwal was not present.
Bibhav’s complaint read: “On the morning of May 13, Ms. Swati Maliwal forcefully and unauthorizedly entered the Chief Minister’s residence at 6 Flagstaff Road, New Delhi, despite being denied entry due to a lack of an appointment, she created a disturbance, abused, and assaulted the complainant, Arvind Kejriwal’s PA, Bibhav Kumar, and threatened to falsely implicate him.”
The video of the incident that has surfaced on social media is also being examined; it has been presented as evidence against Maliwal’s allegations. However, it is still not clear whether the video is of original length or has been edited.
Yogita Bhayana, an anti-rape activist and head of People Against Rape in India (PARI), told The Sunday Guardian that women in AAP are underrepresented and often face attempts to silence their voices. She stated that Swati Maliwal spoke out only after the situation became intolerable for her.
Bhayana said it is the police’s job to investigate the truth. When a woman files a complaint, by the law of the land, it is the investigators or the court that can give a clean chit to the accused.
According to her, Atishi should support Swati Maliwal and assist in uncovering the truth instead of dismissing her claims.
Shazia Ilmi, BJP spokesperson told The Sunday Guardian, “Sanjay Singh initially accepted that Bibhav misbehaved with Maliwal, and Kejriwal had taken account of the incident and they will take action in the matter. Now, Atishi is saying that Sanjay only heard Swati’s version; if that is the case, how could Sanjay admit that Arvind will take action? So clearly, it signals that Atishi is lying, and the story that she narrated at Friday’s press conference is cooked up.”
Shazia further criticized Atishi’s actions, stating, “Using one woman against another, as the Aam Aadmi Party is doing, is much worse than having less representation.” Shazia further busted the myth revolving around the video of Maliwal and said, “It only shows one part and could be tampered with.”
Narrating the 2022 Anshu Prakash assault incident when the then Chief Secretary of Delhi, Prakash alleged that he was assaulted by AAP MLAs at Kejriwal’s residence, Shazia said, “Then the CCTV cameras weren’t working? It’s very convenient that now they show only half the video.”
Marlena’s concerns over the BJP’s alleged manipulation of Swati Maliwal raise questions about her involvement in the recruitment controversy within the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW). The case is under scanner by the investigation agencies.
The dispute dates back to a complaint by Barkha Shukla Singh, former DCW Chief, who on August 11, 2016, accused Maliwal and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of appointing AAP supporters to lucrative positions in the DCW, thereby misappropriating public funds. In addition to this Atishi also highlighted a video that seemingly contradicts Maliwal’s claim of being unable to walk after an alleged assault, as it shows Maliwal walking unassisted after exiting the Chief Minister’s residence.
The Sunday Guardian tried calling and texted Swati Maliwal for her comment on the issue but got no response.