Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP, Swati Maliwal, recorded her statement on Friday before a magistrate at Delhi’s Tis Hazari court regarding the alleged assault by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s aide, Bibhav Kumar. The Delhi Police has already registered an FIR in the case, naming Kumar as the accused.
On Monday morning, Maliwal visited the Civil Lines police station in the national capital, alleging that a member of Kejriwal’s staff assaulted her at the chief minister’s official residence. In her complaint, Maliwal detailed the sequence of events, explaining that she went to the Chief Minister’s house after receiving no response from Bibhav and Kejriwal regarding some work.
In the FIR filed by Ms Maliwal, the Rajya Sabha MP has described in excruciating detail the mistreatment and assault she had to face at the Delhi CM’s residence.
“On 13th May 2024, at around 9 am. I visited the residence of Mr Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi at 6, Flagstaff Raod, Civil Lines, Delhi. On reaching, I went inside the camp office and called CM’s PS Bibhav Kumar but I could not get through. I then sent a message to his mobile number (through WhatsApp). However, there was no response. I then went inside the residential area through the main door of the CM house as I have always done in the past year since Bibhav Kumar was not present at the CM house,” the FIR reads.
Swati entered the residence area and informed the staff present there to tell the CM that she was there to meet him. She was informed that he was present in the house and I was told to wait in the drawing room, the FIR says.
“I went into the drawing-room, sat on the sofa, and waited for the CM to meet me. A staff came and told me that CM is coming to meet me and I was asked to wait. Suddenly, the PS of CM, Bibhav Kumar barged into the room. He started screaming at me without any provocation and even started abusing me. I was stunned by this sudden misbehaviour and reacted by telling him to stop talking to me like this and to call the CM,” the FIR filed by Swati further read.
Describing the assault at the hands of Bibhav Kumar, Maliwal said, “Without any provocation whatsoever on my side, he started slapping me with his full force. He slapped me 7-8 times at least while I continued screaming. I felt numb and shocked and was screaming for help over and over again. To protect myself, I pushed him away with my legs. At that time, he pounced on me, brutally dragged me and deliberately pulled my shirt up. My shirt buttons opened and my shirt flew up. I landed on the floor while hitting my head on the centre table.”
Swati said that Kumar pounced on her, and kept attacking her, kicking her on her chest, stomach, and pelvis region.
“I was constantly screaming for help but no one came. After that, Bibhav Kumar did not relent and attacked me by kicking me repeatedly in my chest, stomach and pelvis area with his legs. I was in extreme pain and kept telling him to stop. My shirt was coming up but he continued to assault me. I repeatedly told him that I was having my periods and that he should please let go of me as I was in unbearable pain. However, he attacked me with full force again and again,” Maliwal said as per the FIR.
As per Swati, Kumar also threatened to beat her black and blue and have her buried in the CM’s residence.
“Then when he realized that l had called the 112 number he went out of the room. Again, Bibhav came back with the security personnel working at the main gate of the CM camp offices. They came and asked me to leave at the behest of Bibhav. I kept telling them that I was brutally beaten up and they should look at my condition and wait until the PCR police came. However, they asked me to leave the premises,” Maliwal said in the FIR.
Explaining how deeply traumatised she was from the assault, Maliwal said,”I was taken outside the CM’s residence and I sat briefly on the floor outside his house as I was in deep pain. The PCR police came but I was completely dazed and left the place by walking towards my previous residence in Civil Lines. I was crying and somehow managed to reach my earlier residence. I sat on the ground there for some time and some police personnel who had accompanied me from the CM house called me an auto on my request. I sat in it and started going towards my house as I was in terrible pain and was traumatised and shattered.”
“Somehow I mustered the strength and asked the auto to head back and went to PS Civil Lines to report the matter. I reached there and sat in the SHO room where I was crying and informed the SHO about the incident. I was in terrible pain and was having severe cramps. I also started receiving a lot of calls from the media on my mobile. Due to extreme trauma, pain and not wanting to politicize the incident, I left the Police Station without filing a written complaint. My head was splitting in pain and my arms legs and abdomen were aching terribly due to the assault,” Maliwal said in the FIR.
