- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi:
The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Bibhav Kumar, a close associate of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in connection with the alleged assault on Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal. Kumar had been in judicial custody since his arrest on May 18, following a complaint filed by Maliwal regarding an incident at the Chief Minister’s residence on May 13.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Swati Maliwal alleged that Kumar assaulted her multiple times during a visit to Kejriwal’s residence. The FIR details that Kumar allegedly slapped her 7-8 times, kicked her in the chest and pelvis, and deliberately pulled up her shirt without any provocation. The case has drawn significant public attention due to the severity of the allegations and Kumar’s close association with the Delhi CM.
While granting bail, the Supreme Court imposed strict conditions on Kumar. He has been restrained from resuming his position as the Chief Minister’s personal secretary or entering the CM’s residence until all key witnesses in the case have been examined. Additionally, the court has gagged Kumar from making any public statements about the case until vulnerable witnesses have been heard.
The apex court directed the trial court to expedite the examination of witnesses and complete this process within three weeks. During this period, Kumar has also been barred from taking up any official position.
Earlier, the Tis Hazari Court has denied bail to Kumar following which Kumar moved to Delhi High Court and the High Court had also dismissed his bail plea on July 12. Kumar had then approached Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court order rejecting his bail plea.
However, recently on August 24, Tis Hazari court had extended his judicial custody until September 13.
