In a fresh development in the Swati Maliwal assault case, the Delhi Police took accused Bibhav Kumar, former PA of Arvind Kejriwal, to the Chief Minister House on Monday. The police have questioned Kumar in the CM house’s drawing room, allegedly where the assault took place.
Bibhav Kumar is the prime accused in the case, who allegedly assaulted Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal in Chief Minister’s house on the morning of May 13. Earlier on Sunday, the Delhi Police arrested Bibhav Kumar. Kumar was later produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal who sent him to five-day police custody.
The Delhi Police asked the court for a seven-day custody saying that Bibhav Kumar’s custody was necessary for questioning him about the reason for the assault. The Delhi Police argued that Kumar had not provided the password of his mobile phone to the investigating agency. It also informed that his phone had been formatted. Hence, Kumar was required to be taken to Mumbai for retrieving the data. The accused's presence was also needed when his mobile-phone would be opened by an expert, they said.
Countering the arguments, Kumar's counsel Rajiv Mohan had said neither was there any record of Maliwal's visit to the CM's residence before May 13 nor did she clarify the reason for registering the FIR only on May 16. He said that Maliwal visited the CM's residence without an appointment and that the Delhi Police was distorting facts.
Police seized laptops and DVR from CM house
The police also seized a laptop and CCTV digital video record (DVR) from the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday.
Notably, Swati Maliwal, in her complaint, has accused Bibhav Kumar of slapping her multiple times, while hitting her on chest, stomach and lower part of the body. Following which an FIR was registered under IPC Sections 354, 506, 509, 323, 354 and some others. The IPC Section 354 is for assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty.
ALSO READ | Bibhav Kumar, Kejriwal's aide, sent to 5-day police custody in Swati Maliwal's alleged assault case
