Maliwal assault case: Delhi Police arrests Bibhav Kumar from CM’s residence

Assault allegations

Maliwal has alleged that she was assaulted by Kejriwal’s personal Bibhav Kumar when she had gone to meet the CM at his residence on Monday, 13 May.

According to the FIR, Maliwal was “kicked and slapped seven to eight times” allegedly by Kumar. The FIR also stated that Kumar “did not relent” despite her asking him to stop.

Maliwal has also claimed that Kumar hit her with “full force again and again” but no one came to her rescue.

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AAP refutes allegations

Addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader Atishi Marlena said Maliwal had reached the CM’s residence without an appointment and her intention was to level allegations against Kejriwal.

Amidst fast-paced developments during the day, a mobile phone video surfaced online in which Maliwal was seen sitting in a sofa at the CM’s house and guards were trying to convince her to leave. She can be heard insisting on calling the police.

Responding to the video, the police said they were yet to verify its authenticity.

“Today a video has surfaced that has exposed the lie of Maliwal. In her FIR, she has said she was brutally assaulted and she was in pain, her clothes were torn and buttons of her shirt were torn. The video that has surfaced shows an entirely different reality,” Atishi said.

Atishi said the video shows Maliwal “comfortably sitting in the drawing room” and “threatening the security staff”, and that “her clothes were not torn”.

“The video shows her threatening Kumar. The charges levelled by Maliwal are baseless. Maliwal insisted on meeting Kejriwal. She is a Rajya Sabha MP and she should know that the CM has a busy schedule. Kumar told her that the chief minister is busy and unable to meet her. She shouted at him, pushed him and tried to enter the residential portion of the CM House,” she claimed.

However, on Tuesday, senior AAP leader and MP Sanjay Singh had said that the incident with Maliwal was “highly condemnable” and had claimed that Kumar had “misbehaved” with her.

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Search for Bibhav Kumar

On Maliwal’s complaint, the police booked Kumar under sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint ), 345B (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to disrobe her), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 509 (insult caused to the modesty of a woman by the use of any words, gestures, or object intending to the do the same) at the Civil Lines police station.

A Delhi Police team had gone to Kumar’s residence Friday, 17 May, but he was unavailable. Kumar’s family was present in the house, an officer said.

Police had formed at least half a dozen teams to trace Kumar.

(With PTI inputs)