Swati Maliwal assault case: Delhi CM Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar sent to 14 days judicial custody

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar was sent in judicial custody for 14 days on Friday (May 31). Kumar, personal assistant to Kejriwal, has been accused of assaulting Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on May 13.

The alleged incident took place right in the middle of India's raging election summer andimmediately steamed up at the center of political discourse just before all 7 Lok Sabha seats in Delhi -- where Aam Aadmi Party is a key political player -- went to polls on May 25.

Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal allowed the Delhi Police’s plea seeking judicial custody for Kumar, who was produced before him on expiry of his three- day police custody.

Separately, the Delhi High Court reserved its order on maintainability of Bibhav Kumar's plea challenging his arrest in Swati Maliwal assault case.

Earlier on Monday (May 27), Kumar’s bail plea was dismissed by a sessions court after observing that there appeared to be no "pre-meditation" by Maliwal in lodging the First Information Report (FIR) that was filed and that her allegations could not be "swiped away" at Bibhav's wish.

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Bibhav Kumar was arrested on May 18. He was sent to police custody for five days the same day by a magisterial court which observed that his anticipatory bail plea had become null-and-void because of his arrest.

He was sent to four-day judicial custody last Friday.

'I am left alone in this fight': Swati Maliwal

Speaking to news agency ANI, AAP MP Swati Maliwal said on Friday (May 31): "Bibhav Kumar beat me up very badly in Arvind Kejriwal's drawing room. As soon as I filed a complaint against him, he did the same. The entire party's leadership and resources were used against me. Every day I was victim-shamed, and my character was maligned. It was done repeatedly and even Arvind Kejriwal himself went with Bibhav Kumar to Lucknow and Amritsar. As soon as Bibhav Kumar was arrested by Delhi Police, Arvind Kejriwal and the entire party leadership came out on the streets and protested against his arrest. An attempt was made to paint me as if he was the hero and I was the villain. Today I have been left alone in this entire fight just because I filed a complaint against Bibhav Kumar. I am fighting this fight alone, but will fight till the end because I know that what I have said is the complete truth. In this fight, my hope is only and only from the court..."

Former Delhi Women's Commission chief-turned-AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal had filed an FIR against Bibhav Kumar under Indian Penal Code provisions, including for criminal intimidation, assault or criminal force on a woman with the intent to disrobe her and attempt to commit culpable homicide.

(With inputs from agencies)