Swati Maliwal assault case: Delhi Police likely to name Bibhav Kumar as prime accused, say sources

The Delhi Police on Tuesday is likely to name Arvind Kejriwal's personal assistant Bibhav Kumar as the main accused in the Swati Maliwal assault case. The police is expected to file a 1,000-page-long chargesheet in the matter.

The chargesheet will also include Maliwal's statement that she recorded before the magistrate. Swati Maliwal on May 13 this year accused Bibhav Kumar assaulted her and that she was "kicked and slapped 7-8 times" at the Delhi Chief Minister's official residence. 

Maliwal also alleged that Kumar repeatedly kicked her in her stomach and pelvis even as she pleaded him to stop and mentioned that she was on her periods. The AAP Rajya Sabha MP said that she was sitting in the drawing room when Kumar entered and started screaming at her. 

"How can you not listen to us? What do you think, you despicable woman? We will teach you a lesson," Maliwal quoted Kumar as saying.

Apart from Maliwal's testimony, it will also contain statements of the security personnel and other staff deployed at the Delhi CM's official residence and those who were present at the time of the alleged incident, India Today reported citing sources aware of the matter. 

The chargesheet will also include the details of the CCTV footage of Kejriwal's residence, sources added. After the incident, Swati Maliwal's medical examination was done, wherein the injuries were confirmed. This report will also be mentioned in the chargesheet. 

The clothes that Maliwal was wearing at the time of the incident were also seized and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). Delhi Police arrested Bibhav Kumar on May 18 after a case was registered against him under sections 308, 341, 354B, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code.

Later, the police said in their application seeking Kumar's custody that he formatted his phone due to some malfunction in Mumbai a day before he was arrested. In the remand application, the police also said that they suspect that the evidence could have been tampered with. 

(With inputs from Arvind Ojha)