Swati Maliwal assault: Police urge Supreme Court to reject Bibhav Kumar’s bail petition
New Delhi, August 23
Terming the alleged physical assault of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal at the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence as “brutal”, the Delhi Police have urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the bail plea of accused Bibhav Kumar in the case.
In its response to Kumar’s bail plea, the Delhi Police told the top court to hear Maliwal also in the case.
Kumar, a close aide of Kejriwal, is currently in judicial custody following his arrest on May 18. Kumar has challenged the July 12 order of the Delhi High Court denying him bail. The top court will take up the matter on August 27.
“The present case pertains to a brutal assault on a sitting MP by an influential former officer pertaining to the CM’s residence wherein the occurrence of incidence is also the residence of the CM and such an incident has had a grave impact on the minds of general public and any adjudication in the said case will have cascading effect on the minds of the general public,” the Delhi Police affidavit read.
Describing him as an “influential person” in comparison to the victim, the Delhi Police said, “The present case requires the complainant to be heard as any liberty granted to the accused petitioner herein directly affects her safety and wellbeing and also of her family members.”
It said the victim corroborated her complaint in her statement recorded before a judicial magistrate as well.
“It is important to note that the victim was deeply traumatised by the harassment and assault she experienced. Furthermore, the victim is an esteemed sitting MP from a ruling party in Delhi, and she was brutally assaulted at a highly sensitive location,” the affidavit said.
