Delhi Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi on Saturday claimed that Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal filed the assault FIR against CM Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar at the behest of the ruling BJP.
The AAP leader said that the former DCW chief was being used as a ‘pawn’ and was made to ‘hatch this conspiracy’ using an old Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) case as leverage.
“The way Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation, anti-corruption bureau, Income tax dept, Economic Offences Wing were used to blackmail opposition leaders and make them join BJP, similarly in Swati Maliwal case also same formula was used. There is a case against Swati Maliwal by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, FIR has been made and the probe is underway using this, Swati Maliwal was made to hatch this conspiracy and was used as a pawn,” Atishi told ANI.
She further said to conduct an unbiased probe alleging that Swati Maliwal had been in touch with BJP leaders.
“There should be an unbiased probe on who was in contact with whom, Swati Maliwali met all BJP members and when what conversation they had on call and on WhatsApp,” Atishi added.
Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that senior leaders of the BJP are in contact with Maliwal adding that her version of the story is incorrect.
“She made the allegations of assault on May 13. A video of May 13 from the CM’s residence surfaced, in which she was seen sitting on the sofa and commanding people. She did not seem like a victim in that video. However, in yesterday’s video, she was walking with a limp. This is the contradiction.
Anyone who would see this will know that this is a conspiracy,” he said.
“Senior leaders of the BJP are in contact with her. Delhi CM’s residence has CCTV cameras. Delhi Police will get the footage today or tomorrow. Till now, it seems her version of the story is not true,” Bharadwaj added.
Meanwhile, as the probe intensified in the Swati Maliwal assault case, as per sources Delhi Police Forensic Science Laboratory team reached Kejriwal’s residence and collected DVR recordings of CCTV footage of many places inside the residence.
According to the sources, it will also be investigated whether there was any tampering with the footage.
The development came after Maliwal also alleged that the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at the Delhi CM’s residence were being tampered with.
Taking to the microblogging site X on Friday evening, Swati Maliwal, the former chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) said, “I have received information that now these people are tampering with the CCTV of the house.” Maliwal also tagged Delhi Police in her post.
Delhi CM Kejriwal’s aide, Bibhav Kumar filed a written complaint against Maliwal, alleging unauthorized entry, verbal abuse, threats, and the possibility of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) involvement in the matter. Notably, the Vigilance Department had last month terminated the service of Bibhav Kumar, personal assistant (PA) to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, over a pending criminal case.
In his written complaint to the SHO of Civil Lines Police Station on Friday, Kumar urged authorities to take appropriate legal action against Maliwal and requested an investigation into her possible ties with BJP leaders, suggesting political motives behind the incident, especially considering the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Maliwal has alleged that Kejriwal’s Personal Secretary Bibhav Kumar “slapped” her “atleast seven to eight times” while she “continued screaming” and “brutally dragged” her while “kicking” her in her “chest, stomach and pelvis area.”
