Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s aide, Bibhav Kumar, approached the Delhi High Court on Wednesday to challenge his arrest in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal assault case, calling it "illegal."
Kumar filed a writ petition seeking his release from jail. According to his lawyers, the plea has also requested a departmental inquiry against the Delhi Police officers involved in the case.
Kumar is accused of assaulting Maliwal at the Chief Minister's residence in New Delhi on May 13.
According to Maliwal's allegations, Kumar used abusive language against her, and "brutally assaulted", as he dragged and banged her head on a centre table when she was waiting at CM's official residence.
He was sent to four-day judicial custody on May 24.
Kumar's approach to the high court comes after a Tis Hazari court in Delhi on Monday (May 26) dismissed his bail plea.
The court, while rejecting the bail for Kumar, said, “allegations raised by the victim have to be taken on their face value and cannot be swiped away” and also noted that the “apprehension of [Kumar] influencing the witnesses or tampering with the evidence cannot be ruled out.”
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police, in its remand report, stated that it was a "serious case" where the "brutal assault" could have turned "fatal". Police also alleged that Kumar was not co-operating with the probe.
"This is a very serious case where a Member of Parliament, a public figure, has been brutally assaulted, which could have been fatal. Despite specific questions, the accused has not cooperated in the investigation and has been evasive in his replies," police told the court earlier.
