Swati Maliwal assault case: Delhi Police adds new charges against CM Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar

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bibhav kumar swati maliwal

The Delhi Police have added a new charge against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide, Bibhav Kumar, in connection with the assault case involving AAP MP Swati Maliwal. According to an official statement on Monday (June 10), Kumar is now charged under Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for "causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender."

Kumar stands accused of assaulting Maliwal at the Chief Minister's official residence on May 13. The newly added Section 201 carries a provision for imprisonment of one-sixth of the punishment awarded for the principal offence in the crime.

The FIR against Kumar, initially registered on May 16, included charges of criminal intimidation, assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to disrobe, and attempted culpable homicide. Maliwal, the former chief of the Delhi Commission for Women, alleges that Kumar attacked her, slapping and kicking her during a visit to meet Kejriwal.

A senior police officer revealed that Kumar's mobile phone was found to have been formatted when he was arrested at Kejriwal's residence on May 18. Prior to his arrest, Kumar had been in Mumbai and was brought back to Delhi. The police suspect that he formatted his phone in Mumbai, but he has not disclosed the location or the individuals with whom he shared the data.

During his custody, Kumar allegedly did not cooperate with the investigation. The police have also collected three CCTV DVRs (digital video recorders) from Kejriwal's residence, including two from cameras at the entrance and one from outside the drawing room. These DVRs have been sent to the forensic science laboratory amid suspicions of tampering, and the reports are awaited.

Following his arrest on May 18, Kumar is in custody at Tihar Jail.