New Delhi: The Delhi Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) on Thursday regarding the alleged assault on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament (MP) Swati Maliwal by an aide of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. This incident has drawn sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who condemned Kejriwal’s silence on the matter.
Bibhav Kumar, the personal assistant to Kejriwal, has been named as the accused. Kumar has also been summoned by the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Friday regarding the incident.
The FIR was filed following Maliwal’s statement, which was recorded by a two-member team led by Additional Commissioner of Police P.S. Kushwaha at Maliwal’s residence in Central Delhi. The process lasted for nearly four and a half hours.
The FIR, lodged at the Civil Lines police station, includes charges under several sections of the Indian Penal Code: Section 354 (assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), Section 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), Section 509 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), and Section 323 (assault).
The incident allegedly occurred two days prior, when Maliwal visited the Chief Minister’s official residence and was reportedly assaulted by Kumar. According to her police statement, Maliwal was in the drawing room when Kumar allegedly slapped her multiple times. She fled the residence and called the police, asserting that Kejriwal was present during the incident.
Maliwal was taken for a medical examination at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Following the police visit, Maliwal posted on X, stating she had recorded her statement with the Delhi Police and urged the BJP to refrain from politicizing the incident. She described the experience as extremely distressing and expressed gratitude to those who supported her.
In her police complaint, Maliwal identified Kumar as the main perpetrator of the assault.
The BJP criticized Kejriwal for not addressing the issue during a press conference in Lucknow, where he was accompanied by Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh. When asked about the matter, Singh responded on behalf of the party, acknowledging Kumar’s misconduct.
During the press conference, Yadav diverted attention by stating there were more significant issues at hand. Singh then criticized the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their handling of women’s safety issues.
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia accused Kejriwal of being the primary culprit by enabling the assault and called for strict action against Kumar.
The NCW summoned Kumar after taking suo moto cognisance of media reports on the incident, stressing that non-compliance could result in further action.
The Congress party also called for strict action against those involved in the assault. Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak emphasized the need for justice regardless of political affiliation, echoing sentiments expressed by AAP’s Sanjay Singh.
The Delhi BJP’s Mahila Morcha expressed support for Maliwal, urging her to ensure legal action is taken against the accused, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding women’s honor. This version aims to be more concise, structured, and formal, focusing on the key points of the incident and the responses from different political entities.
