Swati Maliwal assault case: A team of Delhi Police on Sunday (May 19) seized a laptop and CCTV digital video record (DVR) from the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in connection with the AAP MP Swati Maliwal assault case. Along with this, some documents were also taken away by the Delhi Police from the Chief Minister's residence.
A police team including Additional DCP Anjitha Chepyala, SHO Civil Lines arrived at the residence of Delhi CM today with an evidence box.
CCTV footage of assault incident has disappeared, claims Swati Maliwal
Maliwal claimed that the CCTV footage of the May 13 incident where she was allegedly assaulted has 'disappeared' and edited videos were being released. Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar was picked up at the CM's residence and arrested in connection with the assault case on Saturday.
"First I was thrashed brutally by Bibhav. He slapped and kicked me. When I freed myself and called 112, he went outside, called security personnel and started making a video. I was shouting and telling the security that Bibhav has thrashed me brutally. "That long portion of the video has been edited. Only a 50-second video was released when I was fed up of telling the security," Maliwal claimed.
According to the plea seeking police custody, a junior engineer in the CM's residence, after admitting that he did not have access to the place where the DVR and CCTV cameras were installed, provided a video of the dining room but it was later found to be blank at the time of the alleged incident.
Bibhav Kumar sent to 5-day police custody
A Delhi Court has sent Bibhav Kumar, to five-day police custody in connection with the alleged assault case of Maliwal. The Delhi Police had sought a 7-day custody of Kejriwal's aide. The court after hearing the arguments of Delhi Police and Bibhav's lawyer had reserved the order and delivered the judgement late Saturday night.
Police arrested Bibhav Kumar on Saturday and his anticipatory bail plea was subsequently observed as becoming "infructuous" by a Delhi court. Kumar was later produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal who sent him to five-day police custody.
Police, through their counsel, had sought seven-day custody of Kumar to question him in connection with the assault case. It is alleged that Kumar, the personal assistant of Kejriwal, assaulted Maliwal at the CM's residence on May 13 morning.
Swati Maliwal assault case
Maliwal has alleged that Kumar slapped her seven to eight times, 'kicked on the chest, stomach, and pelvis area,' and threatened to kill her. She stated that the incident occurred on May 13 when she went to meet Kejriwal at his official residence. Meanwhile, the AAP has denied the allegations, claiming that Maliwal is being “blackmailed” by the BJP to become part of their conspiracy.
Kumar was arrested by the Delhi Police on Saturday after being booked under Sections 354 (assault or use of criminal force on woman with intent to disrobe), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt)of the Indian Penal Code.
(Inputs from Anamika Gaur)
