18 May
Sandeep Dhand Ludhiana
AAP Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s personal secretary, Bibhav Kumar, was arrested by the Delhi Police on charges of assaulting Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, sparking a fierce political clash between BJP and AAP.
Kumar, an aide to Kejriwal for over 20 years, was detained from the CM’s residence in Civil Lines at 11 am. His arrest coincided with the hearing of his anticipatory bail plea at the Tees Hazari Courts. Senior AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi claimed that the police arrested Kumar around 3.55 pm when it became apparent that their case was weak and Kumar might get bail. The arrest rendered Kumar’s plea irrelevant as his lawyers were informed only at 4.55 pm when the court was issuing its order.
Kumar had emailed the SHO of Civil Lines police station at 9.52 am, stating his willingness to cooperate with the investigation and requested that a case be registered on his counter-complaint against Maliwal for “forceful entry” and threats at the CM’s house on May 13. AAP accused BJP of using Maliwal, claiming she was being blackmailed due to a pending 2016 graft case related to her tenure as Delhi Commission for Women chief.
BJP President JP Nadda condemned AAP, saying, “AAP is built on lies. This assault mirrors their real face. They call people home and beat them up.” He referenced a 2018 incident where AAP MLAs allegedly assaulted then Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash at the CM’s house, a case from which Kejriwal and others were discharged by the Supreme Court in 2021.
AAP hinted at Maliwal’s potential switch to BJP, with Atishi mentioning similar scenarios with other politicians like Ajit Pawar and Himanta Biswa Sarma. Kejriwal accused the BJP of targeting AAP leaders through arrests, highlighting the recent imprisonment of party members including himself, Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, and Sanjay Singh. He also speculated on future arrests of AAP leaders.
Bibhav Kumar has been remanded to five-day police custody, with accusations of evidence destruction. The incident has further escalated tensions as Delhi and surrounding regions approach crucial Lok Sabha elections.