AAP leader Swati Maliwal has submitted a statement to Delhi Police, after four days of silence over an incident of assault at the Chief Minister’s residence that has triggered a furious political spat between Delhi’s ruling party and the opposition BJP.
Maliwal has been at the centre of an alleged assault row involving party chief Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar. Based on the complaint, a case has been filed against Kumar. The AAP MP filed a written complaint after a high-level Delhi Police team visited her residence to record her statement earlier in the day on Thursday.
After filing the complaint, Maliwal was taken to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for a medical test, sources told ANI.
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On Thursday evening, a two-member police team – led by Assistant Commissioner of Police PS Kushwaha – met Maliwal, incommunicado since the alleged assault, at her home to seek details and record a statement. The meeting lasted for four hours, officials told news agency PTI.
This was hours after the National Commission for Women issued a summons to Kumar.
After filing the complaint, in a post on X, formerly Twitter, she said, “What happened to me was very bad… The last few days have been very difficult for me”.
“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. Those who tried to do character assassination, said that she was doing it on the instructions of the other party, may God keep them happy too. 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,” read a rough translation of her post in Hindi.
The police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Kumar for assault, criminal intimidation, and outraging a woman’s modesty under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
“She has alleged that Kumar came into the room when she was waiting to meet Kejriwal, and started verbally abusing her, before slapping her multiple times, without provocation. She further alleged that she raised an alarm and asked him to let her go, but he continued assaulting her,” an officer said, Indian Express reported.
According to the officer, she alleged that Kumar struck her on her face, chest, stomach and the lower part of her body and that she ran outside and made the PCR call.
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Swati Maliwal assault case
Swati Maliwal was allegedly assaulted by Kejriwal’s personal assistant, Bibhav Kumar, at the Chief Minister’s residence in Delhi’s Civil Lines area on Monday. According to the AAP’s Sanjay Singh – who on Tuesday confirmed the “distressing incident” – she was waiting to meet the Chief Minister when Kumar “misbehaved” with her.
Delhi Police confirmed they received two calls from an unknown person within Arvind Kejriwal’s residence – but from a phone number registered to Maliwal – alerting them to the harassment. Maliwal later appeared at a police station in the area but left without filing a complaint.
(With inputs from agencies)