Maliwal assault case LIVE | Bibhav arrested after anticipatory bail hearing started: AAP

AAP leader Atishi on Saturday claimed party MP Swati Maliwal, who has accused Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar of assaulting her, is facing arrest in an illegal recruitment case and she was “blackmailed” by the BJP to become part of the “conspiracy” against the Chief Minister.

Talking to PTI-Video, Atishi, who is also a cabinet minister in the Delhi government, alleged that Maliwal went to the chief minister’s official residence on Monday without an appointment.

“Why did she barge inside? Why did she land up at the chief minister’s residence without an appointment? Arvind Kejriwal was busy that day and did not meet her. If he had met her that day, the allegations levelled against Bibhav Kumar could have been levelled against him,” Atishi said.

She said Maliwal was made the face of this “conspiracy” by the BJP.

“The BJP has a pattern. First, they file cases and then threaten to send leaders to jail. Swati Maliwal is facing charges in an illegal recruitment case registered by the Anti-Corruption Branch. An FIR has been registered in the case and it is at a stage where she could be arrested.

“The BJP blackmailed Maliwal and made her the face of this conspiracy,” the AAP leader charged.

Atishi said if the Delhi Police is impartial, it should also register an FIR on Kumar’s complaint against Maliwal.

“Will the Delhi Police register a case of trespassing, breach of security and obstructing a government servant from discharging his duty against her? If the Delhi Police is impartial, it should register an FIR on Bibhav's complaint. Will it act on his complaint the same way it did on Maliwal's complaint?” she asked.

“Her call records should be looked into and analysed (to see) which BJP leaders she was in touch with,” she said.

Bibhav Kumar on Friday filed a police complaint against Swati Maliwal, alleging she breached the security of the CM’s residence to gain unauthorised entry on May 13 and created a ruckus there, the party said.

It also said that when Kumar tried to stop her, she hurled abuses at him.

In his complaint filed via an e-mail to the Civil Lines Police Station SHO, Kumar said now she is trying to falsely implicate him by alleging that he assaulted her at the chief minister’s residence when she had gone to meet Kejriwal.

Kumar has also sent a copy of his complaint to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (North).

In a statement, the AAP said Kumar has said in his complaint that Maliwal breached the security of the CM's residence, gained access forcibly and unauthorisedly, and created a ruckus there.

When Kumar tried to stop her, she hurled abuses at him with the intent to physically assault him, according to the complaint.

Kumar also said in the complaint that Maliwal is now trying to falsely implicate him so as to create undue pressure on him.

Kumar in his complaint said Maliwal barged into Kejriwal’s residence on May 13 by telling security personnel that she was a Rajya Sabha MP.

“Despite requests by security officers to wait until he gets the details of her appointment verified, she forcibly entered the CM’s residence despite the objections,” Kumar said in his complaint.

The complaint stated that she trespassed despite repeated objections by security personnel and CM office staff.

It was claimed in the complaint that at 9.22 am, when Kumar entered the main building of the CM’s residence, he found Maliwal sitting in the drawing room.

“Kumar approached Maliwal and politely requested her to follow the proper procedure for meeting the chief minister. To this, Maliwal started screaming and shouting at Kumar, and hurled abuses. She said: ‘tumhari himmat kaise hui...ek MP ko rokne ki....tumhari aukat kya hai? (How dare you to stop an MP)’,” the complaint stated.

Maliwal ignored the requests and started walking from the drawing room towards the inner parts of the residence, Kumar said in his complaint.

Kumar claimed that she intended to harm Kejriwal and he strongly “objected”. Maliwal became angry and sat on a sofa and called the police control room. She started levelling false allegations, the complainant said.

Kumar said that when he requested Maliwal to leave the CM’s residence, she said, “Main tujhe dekh lungi...main tujhe aese joothe case mei fasaungi ki tujhe zindagi bhar jail mei sadah dungi ....(I will trap you in a false case and you will spend your whole life in prison)”.

He said he called security officers in the main building and they too requested her to leave. She left the premises at 9.35 am, the complaint said.

Kumar has alleged that Maliwal trespassed, breached security of the CM’s residence, prevented government officers from discharging their duty and assaulted him. Therefore, she is liable for action as per the law, he said.

Kumar said, “You (SHO) are requested to take appropriate legal action against Maliwal. Since it is election time, all of this may have been done at the behest of the BJP and it is therefore, requested that her call records, chats and interactions with BJP leaders should also be investigated.”

Swati Maliwal has bruises over her left leg dorsal and right cheek, according to her medical report.

Maliwal’s medical examination was conducted on Friday. According to her medico-legal certificate (MLC) from AIIMS, Maliwal has “bruises over proximal left leg dorsal aspect of approx size 3x2 cm and right cheek elbow below right eye of approx size 2x2 cm”.