Swati Maliwal Assault Case: SC Says Bibhav Kumar ‘Not Ashamed’, Acted As If ‘Some Goon Entered Premises’ – News18

The Supreme Court on Thursday came down heavily on Bibhav Kumar, a close aide of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who is seeking bail in the Swati Maliwal assault case, saying power had gone to his head and he was not ashamed of his behaviour.

The case hogged headlines in May this year when Maliwal, an Aam Aadmi Party MP in the Rajya Sabha, alleged that Kumar had assaulted her at Kejriwal’s official residence and blamed the chief minister for trying to protect his aide. An FIR was registered against Kumar on May 16 under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and he was arrested on May 18.

On Thursday, the apex court said it was shocked at the manner in which the incident had unfolded. “What does he think? Power has gone to his head. You [Kumar] were the ex-secretary. If the victim had no authority to be there, even you did not have authority to be there.”

The court added: “He is not ashamed of doing it. She is a young woman. The FIR says she asked him to stop. She was in a particular condition then. Do you think anyone in that room watching would have dared to say anything against him?”

Noting that Kumar had behaved “as if some goon entered the premises”, the court said: “These are your political affairs. Law and criminal allegations don’t have anything to do with it.”