When Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal received interim bail in the alleged money laundering case in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, the party was buoyant and celebrated the relief granted to their leader amid the Lok Sabha elections. However, that cheer was short-lived. That’s because the party now seems fractured owing to the Swati Maliwal episode.
On Thursday (16 May), the Delhi Police filed an FIR against
Bibhav Kumar
, Kejriwal’s aide based on the statement given by AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP and former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief
Swati Maliwal
. The FIR against Kumar has been filed under IPC sections 354 (assault or use of criminal force on woman with intent to disrobe), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt).
Following the FIR, Maliwal wrote on X: “What happened to me was very bad. I have given my statement to the police. I hope 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 carry out character assassination, who said I was doing it on the instructions of another party, may God keep them happy too.”
But what exactly happened to Maliwal? How have the events unfolded from the day of the alleged attack to now — when an FIR has been registered? We break it down for you.
The alleged attack
On the morning of Monday (13 May), the Delhi Police received a call from Maliwal in which she alleged that she was
attacked at Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
’s Flagstaff Road residence. The authorities responded to the call and arrived at the CM’s residence. Maliwal then alleged that Kejriwal’s aide, Bibhav Kumar, had attacked her at the behest of Kejriwal.
The PCR log states: “Caller bol raha hai ‘main abhi CM ke ghar par hu, unhone apne PA Bibhav Kumar se mujhe buri tarah pitwaya hai’ (Caller is saying that she is at the CM’s house and he instructed his PA, Bibhav Kumar, to beat me mercilessly).”
She then went to the Civil Lines police station on Monday but did not register a complaint at the time. Reports said that while she was at the police station, she received a few calls and it was after that she left. The Economic Times reported that at 10.50 am, Maliwal boarded another auto and left the station, saying she would return.
Sanjay Singh admits to Maliwal assault
The AAP initially maintained silence after the assault. However, a day later, the AAP’s Sanjay Singh held a press conference in which he admitted that Maliwal had been harassed by Kejriwal’s personal assistant, Bibhav Kumar, and strict action would be taken against him.
The AAP senior leader said it is a “condemnable incident”. “Yesterday, Swati Maliwal had gone to meet Arvind Kejriwal at his residence. While she was waiting to meet him in the drawing room, Bibhav Kumar came and misbehaved with her. This is a highly condemnable incident. Kejriwal has taken cognisance of it and will take strict action in the incident,” Singh said.
This was the first statement from the party. However, the BJP came down heavily on the AAP. It staged a protest raising the safety issue of Maliwal and said the Rajya Sabha MP had gone incommunicado after the incident.
On Wednesday, the BJP staged a protest near Kejriwal’s residence. Armed with placards and megaphones, they called for swift action against those responsible for the incident. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva questioned Kejriwal’s silence on the matter and urged the police to launch a probe into the incident. “Why isn’t the chief minister saying anything? The incident happened at his residence, he should have called the police. But, he is not doing anything which throws his role in all this under suspicion,” said Sachdeva.
Moreover, when Singh visited Maliwal’s residence on Wednesday (15 May), BJP’s national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said that the AAP was trying to pressure her into staying silent or changing her story to the cops.
Maliwal’s ex-husband
Naveen Jaihind
also waded into the row, claiming there was a threat to her life. Taking to X, he said that the assault against Maliwal was part of a bigger conspiracy and there was danger to her life.
He also wrote: “Why are you acting MP Sanjay Singh? You know the whole incident, right? You already knew what was going to happen. The attack was a conspiracy. Swati’s life is in danger. You know that right? Now you are trying to intimidate her into silence.”
Bibhav Kumar seen with Kejriwal
The row involving Maliwal, Kumar and Kejriwal only worsened on Thursday when the BJP shared an image of
Kumar being seen with Kejriwal
at the Lucknow Airport.
In a video being shared online, Kejriwal could be seen arriving at the Lucknow Airport as he and his colleague Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were being welcomed by their party leaders. In the video, his former PA Bibhav Kumar is also seen beside them.
The Delhi BJP president was quoted as saying, “Bibhav, who is accused of assaulting Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, was spotted last evening with Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh at the Lucknow Airport. This shows the real face of the Aam Aadmi party which is full of lies and deceit.”
BJP’s Poonawala also wrote on X: “72 hours No FIR on Bibhav Kumar instead Kejriwal is protecting him! Roaming around with him.”
An FIR, at last
On Thursday night, the Delhi Police filed an FIR against Kumar after Maliwal submitted her statement to the authorities. The FIR came after a two-member police team, led by Additional Commissioner of Police PS Kushwaha, visited Maliwal’s house in Central Delhi to take her statement and spent four hours at her residence.
In her complaint, she has provided a detailed account of the alleged attack, stating that
Kumar slapped, kicked her, beat her with a stick
, and hit her in the stomach.
Per the 39-year-old’s statement, she was sitting in Kejriwal’s drawing room when Bibhav Kumar barged in and began to assault her. She pleaded with Kumar to leave her, but her pleas fell on deaf ears initially.
Simultaneously, Bibhav Kumar has also been summoned by the National Commission for Women today (17 May) at 11 am in connection to the alleged assault.
Notably, former AAP leader Shazia Ilmi has also come out in support of Maliwal, saying she too had to tolerate misbehaviour when she was in the Arvind Kejriwal-led party and “beating is very normal there”.
“She (Swati Maliwal) has been beaten… Bibhav Kumar’s job profile is to obey Arvind Kejriwal. I have also tolerated the misbehaviour of that person… Beating is very normal there. Prashant Kumar and Yogendra Yadav were also kicked out by bouncers. But, this time they have crossed limits… Is beating up a woman by your PA appropriate? The police have done well. They have reached for her help,” she told news agency ANI.
AAP’s ‘truth’ bomb
After details of Maliwal’s assault emerged, the AAP has added another twist to the story by retweeting a video in which one can see Maliwal arguing with the CM’s staff. The party has captioned the video — ‘The truth of Swati Maliwal’.
The video briefly shows Maliwal seated on a couch when security officials ask her to get up and leave. To this, she responds, “I will not. I will do it. I will do it. Today, I will tell these people everything.”
To this, a guard says, “Yes you can, that is your headache.” However, the AAP leader continues to argue with the guards. In the video, at one point, you can hear Maliwal saying that she will complain to the cops. She also can be heard saying, “I will eat your if job you touch me.”
She can also be heard cussing at one of the guards, which angers him. In response, he can be heard saying: “Madam, you cannot speak like this.”
Shortly after AAP retweeted the video, Maliwal wasted no time in her response, saying the video was taken out of context and the truth will be revealed to everyone as soon as the CCTV footage of the house and the room is checked.
She also made a reference to a “political hitman”, saying he was using his people to tweet and play videos without any context to save himself.
AAP minister, Atishi, also held a press conference on Friday evening, presenting the official version of the party in the matter. She said that Maliwal was sent to the Delhi CM’s house as part of a BJP conspiracy. “She reached the CM’s house on 13 May without an appointment. She was asked about it… she threatened the police at the gate and said she is a Rajya Sabha MP.”
She also referenced the video that is now circulating online, saying, “In the FIR, Maliwal has said she was beaten relentlessly… her clothes were torn. The video that is out today counters this. She was sitting comfortably, she was shouting at and threatening Bibhav Kumar and the police, and her clothes are not torn, she did not have any wound.”
With inputs from agencies
Link to article –
How the Swati Maliwal-Bibhav Kumar ‘assault’ row unfolded: The complete story
