Delhi court on Monday (May 27) rejected the bail plea by Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar in connection with the Swati Maliwal assault case. Kumar had moved a bail plea before Delhi’s Tis Hazari court that heard the arguments of both sides before dumping his plea.
Earlier in the day, the magisterial court reserved till 4 pm its order on the bail plea. Kumar is accused of assaulting the AAP Rajya Sabha member at the chief minister's residence on May 13 triggering a huge political outrage amid high-octane Lok Sabha elections campaigns. He was sent to four days' judicial custody on May 24. Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal reserved the order after hearing the arguments.
Bibhav called to Kejriwal's residence after Maliwal reached there: NCW
In another development in the case, the NCW released a press note, claiming that Kumar was called to the chief minister's residence after Maliwal reached there. The NCW sought details on whose direction was he called.
The commission emphasized that this update follows its earlier communication dated May 13, 2024, where it took suo moto cognizance of a media post titled "Former DCW Chief Swati Maliwal accuses Arvind Kejriwal's personal secretary of assaulting her." According to the report, Maliwal alleged that she was assaulted by Kumar.
The NCW has revealed that during Maliwal's visit to the chief minister's residence, Kumar was summoned after her arrival.
To clarify the circumstances and directions under which Kumar was called, the NCW has called for an investigation into the Call Detail Records (CDR) of all involved individuals, including the chief minister. The NCW stressed the necessity of investigating the CDRs to determine who directed Kumar to be present at the chief minister's residence.
Moreover, the NCW has insisted on stringent action against individuals, who have been issuing rape and death threats to Maliwal. It has called for the accused to be charged under the appropriate sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, and has demanded a comprehensive report on the actions taken within three days.
