Maliwal assault case: Kejriwal's aide sent to 14 days custody
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide, Bibhav Kumar, has been sentenced to 14 days of judicial custody. This decision was made by a Delhi court on Friday, following the end of Kumar's three-day police custody. The sentence is in connection with the alleged assault of Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal by Kumar at the chief minister's residence on May 13.
Why does this story matter?
Kumar was arrested on May 18 after Maliwal filed a complaint against him on May 16. The assault allegedly occurred at Kejriwal's residence on May 13, with Maliwal claiming that Kumar "slapped" her "at least seven to eight times" and "brutally dragged" her while "kicking" her in the "chest, stomach, and pelvis area." She also claimed that no one came to help her despite her pleas for help, and that Kejriwal was present at the residence when she was assaulted.
Kumar's counter-complaint and bail plea dismissal
Before his arrest, Kumar lodged a counter-complaint against Maliwal, accusing her of "unauthorized entry" into the CM's residence. However, a magisterial court sent him to police custody for five days the same day he was arrested. It observed that his anticipatory bail plea had become infructuous because of his arrest. He was sentenced to four days in judicial custody last Friday. On Monday, a sessions court dismissed Kumar's bail plea, stating that Maliwal's allegations could not be "swiped away."
Declare arrest as illegal: Kumar's petition
In his petition, Kumar has asked the court to declare his arrest illegal, alleging it to be in gross violation of Section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). He claimed that his arrest goes against the law's mandate. He is also seeking "appropriate compensation" for what he terms an "illegal" arrest and is demanding departmental action against officials involved in making the decision to arrest him.
