Days after he stepped out of Tihar jail on interim bail, more trouble mounts for AAP and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal went to the Civil Lines police station on Monday and alleged that Kejriwal’s ‘controversial’ personal assistant, Bibhav Kumar, ‘assaulted’ her at the Chief Minister’s official residence.”
Though an official complaint is yet to be made in this regard, sources said AAP leaders, including Kejriwal, have been annoyed with Maliwal due to her prolonged absence and not making at least a courtesy visit when Kejriwal was in jail facing a probe on the multi-crore liquor case.
Senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Satyender Jain are still in jail in the same case being probed by Enforcement Directorate while party’s Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh is on bail.
Sources also said due to widening rift between Maliwal and the AAP, she is being forced by the party to resign from the Rajya Sabha as the top leadership of AAP are in a mood to give the RS berth to a top lawyer helping Kejriwal and others in the case.
Earlier in the day as per DCP of North M K Meena, they received a PCR call at 9.34 am from a woman who said she had been assaulted at the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence. “I am a lady calling from the Chief Minister’s official residence. His PA has beaten me up badly on his saying,” the PCR call report received by the MP read. However, she has not filed any official complaint as of yet.
“After some time, MP madam came to the police station. However, she left stating she will give a complaint later,” the DCP told reporters. According to sources, she said she is not in good condition as of now and hence, will file the complaint later. The call was from Maliwal’s mobile number, said another officer, stating that she was the one on the other side of the line.
A team from the Civil Lines police station reached the Chief Minister’s residence soon after the call. The SHO met Maliwal there and she told him she would soon be going to the police station, the officer said. Maliwal went to the police station at 10 am.
“In the police station, she was informed that a medical examination is necessary to file an assault FIR. She was at the police station for five minutes and left without filing any formal complaint. She said she would be back later,” he said. According to an official, she also cried at the police station. The Rajya Sabha MP and former chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) for nine years has not yet said anything officially and gave no response to messages and calls made to her for her comment.
There is also no reaction from either the Chief Minister’s residence or from Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party.
Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly and BJP South Delhi candidate Ramvir Singh Bidhuri has condemned the assault on Maliwal and said the accusation is indeed alarming. Earlier, the Chief Secretary had been beaten in a similar manner, and several incidents of scuffles have occurred with many senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party, Bidhuri said.
In-charge of BJP’s National Information & Technology Department Amit Malviya said, “AAP RS MP and former DCW chief Swati Maliwal alleges that Delhi CM’s PA assaulted her. Call made from Delhi CM’s House. Remember, Swati had maintained silence on Kejriwal’s arrest. She was in fact not even in India at that time and didn’t return for a long time.”
Further, the National Commision of Women (NCW) has issued a statement in this regard on its official X (formerly Twitter) and said it will be sending an enquiry team to look into the alleged assault of Maliwal. It will also send a formal letter to the Delhi Police to send an action taken report (ATR) in the matter.
“Maliwal reportedly assaulted the Delhi CM’s residence. The NCW vows action, demanding justice from the Delhi Police and sending an enquiry team. Perpetrators must be held accountable. The NCW will be sending a formal letter to Delhi Police to send an ATR in this matter in 3 days,” the commission said.
