Maliwal assault case: Delhi court sends Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar to 5-day police custody
Arvind Kejriwal’s aide, Bibhav Kumar, has been sent to five days in police custody following allegations of assaulting AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal. The Delhi Police arrested Kumar on Saturday, and his anticipatory bail plea was subsequently declared “infructuous” by a Delhi court.
The police allege that Kumar, Kejriwal’s personal assistant, assaulted Maliwal at the CM's residence on the morning of May 13. Kumar was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal, who granted the police’s request for custody.
The police, through their counsel, sought seven days of custody to question Kumar about the assault. They argued that Kumar did not provide his mobile phone password to the investigating agency and claimed that his phone had been formatted in Mumbai due to a malfunction. Police stated, “Before being formatted, the data of a mobile phone has to be cloned, and Kumar was required to be taken to Mumbai for retrieving the data.” They added that his presence was needed when his mobile phone is opened by an expert.
Kumar’s counsel, Rajiv Mohan, contested the police’s claims, stating, “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.” The FIR was filed at the Civil Lines police station. Mohan noted that Maliwal visited the CM's residence without an appointment and accused the police of distorting facts.
Mohan also highlighted inconsistencies, saying, “Neither did Maliwal seek any medical aid after
