New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Bibhav Kumar, accused of assaulting Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal.
A close associate of Arvind Kejriwal, Kumar was arrested by Delhi Police from the chief minister’s residence exactly 100 days ago, on May 18.
Pronouncing the verdict, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan directed that Kumar will not be reinstated as personal assistant to Kejriwal or given any official position in the chief minister’s office.
The Supreme Court also restrained Kumar from entering the CM’s residence till all witnesses have been examined. Kejriwal himself is still in judicial custody in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case after having been arrested in March.
The two-member bench told Delhi Police an accused cannot be kept in custody for more than 100 days in such cases.
In an FIR filed on May 14, Maliwal alleged that Kumar slapped her 7-8 times without any provocation, kicked her chest and pelvis, and deliberately pulled up her shirt at Kejriwal’s residence when she went to meet the Delhi CM on May 13.
The Rajya Sabha MP claimed that her party was victim-shaming her as her character was “maligned” and she was “left alone in the entire battle.”
Kumar lodged a counter-complaint, accusing Maliwal of gaining “unauthorised entry” into the CM’s Civil Lines residence and verbally abusing him.
