In the ongoing Swati Maliwal assault case, accused Bibhav Kumar, an aide of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, moved for bail on Saturday, asserting he is not a flight risk. His counsel, senior advocate N Hariharan, told the court that no notice was served to Bibhav before his arrest by Delhi Police.
Bibhav’s lawyer produced videos disputing Maliwal’s assault allegations and argued that Swati Maliwal did not have an appointment to meet CM Kejriwal on May 13, contradicting her claims. The incident, which Bibhav’s counsel described as concocted, allegedly took place in a location covered by CCTV cameras.
“The entire place is covered by CCTV. To get into the office and meet the CM, you need to have a prior appointment, which she did not have,” Hariharan stated, adding that a security breach report had been filed by security personnel.
Bibhav’s legal team emphasized his willingness to cooperate with the investigation but argued against the manner of his arrest. “Without notice, you cannot call me to the police station and make me sit there for hours. An interim protection can be granted,” his lawyer contended.
The court hearing revealed that Maliwal, currently a member of the Rajya Sabha and former chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, had approached the SHO on May 13 without lodging a complaint, which she later filed on May 16. This delay was presented as evidence of an alleged conspiracy against Bibhav.
Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Kumar Srivastava informed the court that Bibhav was arrested at 4:15 PM during the bail hearing. Following this, the court disposed of the anticipatory bail plea as infructuous.
