A Delhi court has ordered that Bibhav Kumar, an adviser to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, be remanded in judicial custody for four days in connection with the alleged assault on Swati Maliwal. He is set to appear in court again on May 28.
Kumar’s legal representatives have filed a request to retrieve and preserve CCTV video and DVRs. They said in court, “These CCTVs are critical evidence in our case. While officials have seized numerous CCTV footages, we are unsure of the actual amount. We are urging that these videos be protected.”
However, the extra public prosecutor said, “Under which section is this application being filed? Such requests are premature because the inquiry is continuing. The prosecutor went on, “They have not specified which CCTV footage they require, but a copy has already been provided to the property owner.” This request is premature; the appropriate stage will be determined later. We had ordered the DVR, but were given a blank pen drive. An NVR was then provided and forwarded to an expert for review.
Bibhav Kumar, a top Kejriwal assistant, was arrested by Delhi Police following a complaint filed by Swati Maliwal accusing him of unauthorized access into the Chief Minister’s residence and verbal abuse. Kumar filed a counter-complaint, citing Maliwal’s improper entry, verbal abuse, and threats, as well as implicating the BJP in the incident.
Maliwal said in her complaint that Kumar physically abused her on May 13, slapping her repeatedly and dragging her forcefully. The Vigilance Department had already suspended Kumar’s employment as Kejriwal’s personal assistant due to an unresolved criminal matter.
