While Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP and former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal has alleged that the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence were being tampered with, the party has released a new video recordings claiming that Ms. Maliwal is “putting up a show” in front of the media.
The voiceover in the video footage posted on X by the party’s official handle claims that Ms. Maliwal is walking “properly” and shows no sign of alleged assault on the day of the incident, when she was exiting the CM’s residence.
“She can be seen escorted out by the police officers, where her shirt is intact and not torn,” says the voiceover in the video.
The audio states that right after being escorted out, Ms. Maliwal walks without any sign of pain, however four days later, she is seen “limping”.
Meanwhile, in a post on X on May 17, Ms. Maliwal said, “I have got the information that these people are now tampering with the residence’s CCTV footage.”
She tagged the Delhi Police in the post as well..”
Case against Bibhav Kumar
Ms. Maliwal has alleged that Mr. Kejriwal’s private secretary Bibhav Kumar slapped her, kicked her in the chest, dragged her and made threats, according to the FIR lodged by the Delhi Police on Thursday. Commenting on the matter, AAP Minister Atishi said in a press conference on Friday that Ms. Maliwal’s allegations were part of a political conspiracy hatched by the BJP.
The Delhi Police on Thursday visited Ms. Maliwal’s residence in central Delhi to record her statement. According to a senior official, the visit lasted for four hours where the former chief of the Delhi Commission for Women elaborated on the ordeal that she was subjected to on May 13 at the Chief Minister’s Civil Lines residence. The Delhi Police had received a call from a woman identifying herself as Ms. Maliwal, who informed them about the “assault” and later she visited the Civil Lines Police Station but had not filed a formal complaint. Three days later, the MP recorded her statement in the presence of two senior police officials. Subsequently, the police booked Mr. Kumar under IPC sections pertaining to assault, criminal intimidation, and outraging a woman’s modesty.
According to the FIR accessed by The Hindu, Ms. Maliwal had gone to the CM’s Civil Lines residence to meet him. She tried contacting Mr. Kumar but received no response. Subsequently, she informed the staff about her presence and sat in the drawing room.
The MP alleged that while she was waiting, Mr. Kumar burst into the drawing room and started verbally abusing her. She accused him of slapping her seven or eight times, hitting her on the chest, the stomach and the pelvic region,“unprovoked”.
