A team of the Delhi Police visited Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal's residence on Thursday to record her statement in connection with the alleged assault on her by a member of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide. The AAP MP has filed a written complaint over the assault by Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar.
The police team, led by an Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) rank officer, spent nearly four hours seeking details from the Rajya Sabha MP, according to a source.
According to Delhi Police sources, Maliwal detailed the incident and the circumstances under which she made a Police Control Room (PCR) call on Monday. Police initiated legal proceedings in the case based on Swati's statements, sources added.
Maliwal, who is an AAP Rajya Sabha MP and former head of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), alleged on Monday that a member of Kejriwal's personal staff, Bibhav Kumar, "assaulted" her at the chief minister's official residence. However, no formal complaint was filed then.
A day after the charges, AAP confirmed the allegations and stated that party chief Arvind Kejriwal has directed stern action to be taken in the matter. Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh, at a press conference, also said that the incident involving Maliwal was "highly condemnable".
The National Commission for Women (NCW), meanwhile, has summoned Bibhav Kumar to appear before the agency on Friday at 11 AM for a hearing.
However, Arvind Kejriwal has not commented on the matter, which has stirred significant controversy. Kumar is viewed as a key figure in the Chief Minister's office.
BJP leaders targeted the AAP chief over the incident and questioned his silence. On Wednesday, the saffron party staged a protest near Kejriwal's residence.
