Amid the ongoing investigation into the highly publicized alleged assault case against AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Monday (May 27) sought an investigation over the latest information being disclosed, which claimed that after Swati Maliwal arrived at the Delhi CM's residence, the accused Bibhav Kumar was summoned to visit the place.
In a statement released, the NCW said, "It has come to the notice of the NCW that during Ms. Maliwal's visit to the residence of the Chief Minister of Delhi, Mr. Bibhav Kumar was called after the arrival of Swati Maliwal at the CM residence. In light of this, it is imperative to investigate the Call Detail Records (CDR) of all relevant individuals, including the Chief Minister of Delhi, to ascertain on whose direction Mr. Bibhav Kumar was summoned."
Further, in the press release, the NCW also demanded strict action against individuals issuing rape and death threats to Swati Maliwal. The Commission said, "The accused person(s) should be charged under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. A comprehensive report detailing the actions taken must be submitted to the Commission within three days."
It is pertinent to note that AAP's Rajya Sabha MP on Sunday (May 26) said that she has been targeted by people issuing rape and death threats, owing to an alleged character assassination campaign orchestrated by her own party leaders and volunteers. She also mentioned that the situation escalated after YouTuber Dhruv Rathee posted a one-sided video against her.
Maliwal slams Dhruv Rathee, party leaders
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Maliwal accused the party leadership of intimidating her into withdrawing her complaint and criticized Rathee for failing to include several important points in his 2.5-minute video against her.
She further said that it is 'shameful' that people like him, who claim to be independent journalists, could act like other AAP spokespersons and "victim shame me to the extent that I am now facing extreme abuses and threats."
Maliwal listed several points that she felt were neglected in Dhruv Rathee's 2.5-minute video, which include, the party taking a U-turn on its stand after initially accepting that the incident happened, the MLC report revealing injuries due to the assault, only a selected part of the video being released, and then the phone of the accused was formatted, the accused being arrested at the crime scene (CM's house) and other.
Moreover, Maliwal in her tweet also urged the Delhi Police to take strong action against the perpetrators. “The manner in which the entire party machinery and its supporters have attempted to vilify and shame me speaks volumes about their stand on women's issues. I am reporting these rape and death threats to @DelhiPolice. I hope they take strong action against the perpetrators,” Maliwal said.
“In any case, if something happens to me, we know who instigated it,” she added.
