Swati Maliwal gives statement to Delhi police, says Kejriwal’s aide assaulted her

The Delhi Police on Thursday registered a first information report (FIR) against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s personal secretary Bibhav Kumar, after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) parliamentarian Swati Maliwal recorded a statement in which, according to officers aware of the matter, she accused him of “outraging her modesty, slapping, kicking and threatening” her at the CM’s residence three days ago. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal (Photo by Arvind Yadav/ Hindustan Times)(Hindustan Times)

Swati Maliwal assault case: Delhi Police lodges FIR, names Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar

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“Maliwal’s statement has been recorded and we are treating it as a complaint. After consulting legal experts, the FIR has been registered,” said an officer aware of the matter.

Later in the evening, Maliwal broke her silence around the assault, which stunned the national capital, and confirmed that she had recorded a police statement, even as she urged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) not to politicise the matter.

AAP spokespersons did not respond to requests for comment.

Kumar did not respond to calls and text messages seeking comment.

Meanwhile, the BJP criticised Kejriwal after he was spotted arriving in Lucknow with Kumar, along with senior party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh.

In a detailed statement on X on Thursday evening, Maliwal acknowledged Monday’s incident and said she hoped “appropriate action will be taken”.

“What happened to me was very bad. I have given my statement to the police on the incident that happened to me. I hope that appropriate action will be taken. The last few days have been very difficult for me. I thank those who prayed for me,” she said.

“Those who tried to assassinate my character, said she was doing it on the instructions of the other party, may God keep them happy too,” Maliwal continued.

She turned her focus to the ongoing polls and said, “An important election is going on in the country, Swati Maliwal is not important, the issues of the country are important.”

“There is a special request to BJP people to not do politics on this incident,” Maliwal said at the end of her statement.

Swati Maliwal's first reaction on 'assault' at Arvind Kejriwal's residence: ‘Very difficult last few days’

According to Delhi Police, Kumar was on Thursday booked under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the FIR, which was registered at the Civil Lines police station.

The case was registered after a two-member police team visited Maliwal’s home on Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Marg and recorded her statement over four-and-a-half-hours.

Around 9.30am on Monday, Maliwal, who is the former chief of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), called the police and said she was being “manhandled” by Kumar. She visited the Civil Lines police station, but left saying she would file a complaint later.

Referring to Maliwal’s complaints, a senior police officer said she told the police that on Monday, when she reached the drawing room of the CM’s office, Kumar began abusing her.

“Without any provocation, he started beating me mercilessly. I was begging to leave, but he didn’t let me. After a while, I managed to escape and called the police,” said the officer, quoting the complaint.

The AAP acknowledged the incident for the first time on Tuesday, when party MP Sanjay Singh, during a press conference, admitted that Kumar “misbehaved“ with Maliwal on May 13 and added that the “CM has taken note of the incident and has asked for strict action”.

However, the BJP on Thursday criticised the AAP and accused it of trying to shield Kumar.

The BJP’s national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala shared an image of AAP leaders at the Lucknow airport showing Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh and Kumar.

“72 hours No FIR on Bibhav Kumar instead Kejriwal is protecting him! Roaming around with him,” Poonawala said in the post on X.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva slammed Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s remarks on Maliwal’s alleged misbehaviour as shameful.

During a press conference jointly addressed in Lucknow by Kejriwal and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, when asked about the assault, the latter said, “There are more important things than this.”

“Till today, Arvind Kejriwal and all his leaders have shamefully remained silent. MP Sanjay Singh’s admission that an incident had happened at Arvind Kejriwal’s residence and action will be taken against the CM’s private secretary Bibhav Kumar has turned out to be completely false. Kejriwal has not taken any action and he is roaming around with Bibhav Kumar,” Sachdeva said.

Delhi Police records AAP MP Swati Maliwal's statement in assault case, may lodge FIR: Report

Meanwhile on Thursday evening, a delegation of the Delhi BJP’s women wing sought to meet Maliwal at her home. However, a staffer came to meet the delegation and accepted a letter of support from the party on behalf of Maliwal, said Richa Pandey Mishra, the state president of Delhi BJP women’s wing.