The arrest of Bibhav Kumar, close aide of Delhi CM Kejriwal who is out on interim bail in liquor excise case, for assaulting the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal at the CM’s residence has given a handle to the party’s detractors to paint it as anti-women outfit. A report by Aayush Goel
Still recovering from the blow dealt by the arrest of the party supremo and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) has found itself embroiled in yet another controversy. On May 13, Bibhav Kumar, Kejriwal’s close aide, was arrested for assaulting party’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal at CM’s residence. The controversy has put the party in a tight spot which is now being painted as an anti-woman. Kumar is in custody and his bail has been denied by the local court.
The court room revelations by Maliwal have come as another blow to the party that is now blaming BJP for orchestrating the incident. The political circles were jolted when on May 13 Maliwal dialled the Delhi Police control room alleging assault at Kejriwal’s official residence in Civil Lines by Kumar, who was Kejriwal’s personal assistant till April. Initially, the party leaders tried to resolve the matter internally. On 14 May, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh admitted that Kumar indeed had misbehaved with Maliwal and action would be taken against him, as Kejriwal has taken a strong view on the matter.
However soon after, Kumar was seen accompanying Kejriwal to Lucknow and this reportedly left Maliwal seething and prompted her to lodge a formal complaint against Kumar on 16 May. Soon after, Kumar was booked under IPC sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 341 (wrongful restraint), 354(b) (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to disrobe her), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman). On May 17, AAP came out all guns blazing against Maliwal, a long-time associate of Kejriwal since his days as activist claiming she was being ‘handled’ by the BJP.
Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi claimed the entire episode was ‘scripted’ by the BJP, which used Maliwal to execute it. She also claimed that Maliwal was doing it to avoid being implicated in an alleged recruitment scam in the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), which she headed between 2015 and January this year. Kumar was however nabbed and after an initial five-day police custody starting on 19 May, he was remanded to a four-day judicial custody.
