bail-plea-rejected-pa-bibhav-to-remain-in-custody

A Delhi court has denied bail for Bibhav Kumar, an aide to Arvind Kejriwal, in connection with an alleged assault on AAP MP Swati Maliwal. The magisterial court dismissed Kumar's bail plea on Monday, relating to an incident at the Chief Minister's residence in New Delhi on May 13.

 

Kumar, accused of assaulting Maliwal, was sent to four days' judicial custody on May 24. Now, he plans to appeal the decision of the Tis Hazari Court at the Delhi High Court.

 

According to Maliwal's account, she faced verbal abuse and physical assault from Kumar while waiting to meet Kejriwal. She alleges he dragged and banged her head on a table at the official residence.

 

During the bail proceedings, Kumar's lawyer claimed the allegations were premeditated and false, suggesting Maliwal chose the assault location due to the absence of CCTV cameras.

 

In response, Maliwal expressed distress in court, highlighting the alleged campaign against her by AAP, including press conferences and social media trolling. She emphasised Kumar's abnormal behaviour and the severity of the assault.

 

The Delhi Police labelled the case as serious, citing the potential fatality of the assault. They accused Kumar of non-cooperation with the investigation. Recently, Kumar was taken to Mumbai for data recovery from his formatted phone, suspected to have been done after his arrest.

 

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has intervened, seeking details on Kumar's invitation to the Chief Minister's residence and calling for an investigation into the Call Detail Records (CDR) of all involved parties, including Kejriwal.

 

In response to Maliwal's allegations, AAP dismissed them as politically motivated, portraying her as a tool of the BJP to tarnish Kejriwal's image during the Lok Sabha elections.