Addressing the assault allegations made by its Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, the Aam Aadmi Party said on Friday that she had been sent to the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Bharatiya Janata Party as part of a conspiracy to dig up "false accusations" against him.
Delhi cabinet minister Atishi, who addressed a press conference today, called Swati Maliwal the "face and pawn" of BJP's conspiracy. Arvind Kejriwal was saved as he was not at the CM's residence when the incident took place, the senior AAP leader told reporters..
Atishi said, "Ever since Arvind Kejriwal has got bail, the BJP is rattled. Due to this, the BJP hatched a conspiracy, under which Swati Maliwal was sent to Arvind Kejriwal's house on the morning of May 13. Swati Maliwal was the face and pawn of this conspiracy. She went there unannounced without an appointment. They intended to accuse the CM but the CM was not there at that time and he got saved."
She also said that the video that came out clearly points to the fact that accusations made by Maliwal are false and the former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief can be seen misbehaving and threatening police officials present at the CM residence.
"After that, Swati Maliwal accused Bibhav Kumar. In her complaint to the police, she said she was assaulted. The video which has come out today shows her sitting comfortably in the drawing room (of the CM house) and threatening the police officials. She was also seen threatening Bibhav Kumar and using abusive language in the video. Neither her clothes were torn nor any injury on her head can be seen in the video," she said.
A complaint has also been registered with the police by Baibhav Kumar against Swati Maliwal, informed Atishi as she detailed the sequence of events that occurred on the day of the incident.
She said, "In his complaint, he has put up a sequence of events. Swati Maliwal without any appointment reached CM's residence. When she was stopped and asked about the details of her visit she said that there was a prior appointment with CM. When security cross-checked her claims then it was found that there was no prior appointment. After which, Maliwal started threatening police officials and said that she being a Rajya Sabha MP can take away their jobs. She was made to sit in a waiting room and was told that she could not meet CM."
"Then she forcibly entered the main building of the CM house and sat in the drawing room. What was the reason she forcibly entered the CM's house? Then residence staff called Bibhav Kumar. Kumar told him that CM won't be able to meet you. Maliwal started shouting at him and she wanted to enter the other main parts of the residence to which Bibhav did not give permission. Maliwal started pushing him aside. Later, Bibhav Kumar called CM's security and asked them to escort her. This was a BJP's conspiracy," added Atishi.
Atishi clarified that Sanjay Singh’s earlier support for Swati Maliwal was based solely on her account of the incident. "Till that point, Sanjay Singh was only aware about Swati Maliwal's side. Now he got to know about Bibhav Kumar's side. The video which has surfaced clearly shows that what Maliwal mentioned in FIR are just mere false accusations. Her lies have come out in front of the whole country," she stated.
This development follows the recording of Maliwal's statement by Delhi's Tis Hazari Court in an assault case. An FIR was lodged against Bibhav Kumar and others based on her complaint. Metropolitan Magistrate Katyayni Sharma Kandwal recorded her statement under Section 164 of the CrPC. Maliwal arrived at the court under police security around noon on Friday for this purpose.
After giving her statement, Swati Maliwal took to social media, alleging that a "political hitman" was attempting to save himself by manipulating public perception. "Like every time, this time also this political hitman has started efforts to save himself. By getting his people to tweet and play videos without any context, he thinks he can save himself by committing this crime," she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Maliwal urged for the release of CCTV footage from the residence where the incident allegedly occurred, believing it would reveal the truth.
The controversy centers around a video clip showing Maliwal and security personnel at the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 13. This clip, now viral on social media, has yet to be authenticated. The Delhi Police acknowledged the video but stated it requires verification.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj also commented on the video, highlighting inconsistencies in Maliwal’s narrative. "Some things can be understood by watching this video of May 13 - 1. The woman is saying that she has called the police, which means that the so-called assault has already taken place. 2. The officers in the Safari are Delhi Police officers on security duty. She does not tell them even once that she has been beaten up badly. 3. Today, the video of May 17 shows that she is not able to walk properly. But even immediately after the so-called serious injuries, in this video she is comfortably sitting on the sofa and dialling the phone. She is threatening the police and Bibhav with great enthusiasm. 4. On May 13, medical examination was not done even on the request of police. I hope more CCTV videos will come out and everyone will know the truth," Bharadwaj stated.
The FIR against Bibhav Kumar includes charges under IPC Sections 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 354B (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation), and 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman).
