The Delhi police have filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, accusing AAP leaders and workers of large conspiracy in the assault case involving its own Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal.
For the unversed, Maliwal was assaulted by Bibhav Kumar, the former personal assistant of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, at the latter’s residence on 13th May this year.
The Delhi police have claimed that how AAP threw its weight behind Kumar and abandoned its own MP indicated a larger conspiracy.
“Investigation has brought out the fact that the petitioner and the CM, Delhi, were together at the scene of the crime, i.e., the Delhi residence, immediately after the commission of the crime for a significant period of time,” the affidavit read.
“As such, the contrarian public stands taken by responsible public servants in the following days also needs to be examined in its correct perspective to decipher if there was a larger conspiracy behind the brutal assault on the complainant/victim at the hands of the petitioner,” it added.
The Delhi police pointed out that selective CCTV footage was leaked to the media, prior to recovery of recording devices.
In its affidavit, the police noted. “This act also needs to be examined to find out whether the crime was conspiratorial or otherwise. Therefore, there is still an apprehension that petitioner herein may influence the witnesses or tamper with the evidences and thus fails to qualify the triple test as laid down by this court.”
“The manner of brutal assault on the complainant, can be seen as mentioned in her complaint and corroborated by the MLC. The complainant victim has presided over DCW as Chairperson for sufficient time, and such an assault on her, and that too at the residence of the Chief Minister, casts aspersions on women’s safety in society,” it continued.
The Delhi police highlighted the ability of petitioner Bibhav Kumar to influence witnesses and tamper with the evidence. The Supreme Court had previously directed the police to respond to Kumar’s special petition leave. He was earlier denied bail by the Delhi High Court.
Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta had stated, “It cannot be ruled out that the witness may be influenced or evidence can be tempered. Therefore, the bail application is disposed of”.
