The Aam Aadmi Party’s lawmakers, under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, are gearing up to march towards the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in New Delhi on Sunday, May 19. Their purpose? To protest the arrest of Bibhav Kumar, an aide to the Chief Minister, in connection with the alleged assault on party MP Swati Maliwal at the CM’s residence on May 13. Arvind Kejriwal has thrown down the gauntlet, challenging the prime minister to incarcerate whoever he pleases.
Late Saturday night, the Tis Hazari Court in Delhi ordered a five-day police custody for Bibhav Kumar regarding the Swati Maliwal assault case.
Bibhav Kumar was apprehended by a Delhi Police team from the Chief Minister’s residence on Saturday under suspicion of tampering with evidence.
Officials informed news agency PTI that the Delhi Police are likely to escort Bibhav Kumar to the CM’s residence on Sunday to reconstruct the crime scene.
Here are the latest updates on the Swati Maliwal assault case:
1. The AAP alleges that Swati Maliwal was coerced by the BJP into participating in a conspiracy against Arvind Kejriwal, citing her ongoing corruption case. They claim the BJP aims to incarcerate AAP MP Raghav Chadha, along with Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj.
2. Arvind Kejriwal accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of orchestrating the imprisonment of AAP leaders such as Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, and Sanjay Singh.
3. Kejriwal stated that he and his fellow lawmakers will head to the BJP office on Sunday, inviting the prime minister to jail whomever he pleases.
4. In response, the BJP accused the AAP of victim-shaming and defending Bibhav Kumar brazenly.
5. Delhi Police have recorded statements from at least 10 individuals present at the CM’s residence during the alleged assault, including security personnel and staff.
6. Bibhav Kumar was questioned about his presence at the CM’s residence on Saturday morning, with suspicions of evidence tampering.
7. Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal remanded Bibhav Kumar to five-day police custody, scheduled for further court appearance on May 23.
8. Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava argued for Bibhav Kumar’s custody, highlighting the seriousness of the assault against a public figure like Swati Maliwal.
9. The prosecutor stated that despite requests, Bibhav Kumar failed to provide access to relevant footage and is withholding the password to an iPhone, which has been formatted.
10. Meanwhile, Swati Maliwal accused the AAP of formatting the phone and deleting crucial video evidence. She asserted that the original footage depicted her being violently assaulted by Bibhav Kumar, raising questions about missing CCTV footage and a potential conspiracy.
The unfolding events underscore the intensifying clash between the AAP and the BJP, with legal and political ramifications looming large.
