Delhi
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s aide, Bibhav Kumar, on Wednesday
approached the Delhi High Court to challenge his arrest in the Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) MP Swati Maliwal assault case, denouncing it as "illegal."
Kumar
has filed a writ petition seeking his release from jail. His legal representatives
have additionally urged a departmental inquiry against the Delhi Police
officers involved in the matter.
Kumar
stands accused of assaulting Maliwal at the Chief Minister's official residence
in New Delhi on May 13.
According
to Maliwal's allegations, while she awaited a meeting with Kejriwal, Kumar
reportedly engaged in verbal abuse, threats, and physical violence, including
"brutal assault," by dragging and forcefully banging her head against
a centre table.
He
was remanded to four days in judicial custody on May 24.
Kumar's
recourse to the high court follows the dismissal of his bail plea by a
magisterial court in Delhi on Monday (May 26).
The
court, in declining bail for Kumar, emphasized that the "allegations
raised by the victim have to be taken at face value and cannot be swiped
away," and further noted that the "apprehension of [Kumar]
influencing the witnesses or tampering with the evidence cannot be ruled
out."
Meanwhile,
the Delhi Police, in its remand report, has said that it was a "serious
case," suggesting that the "brutal assault" had the potential to
be "fatal." Additionally, the police have alleged that Kumar was
non-cooperating with the investigation.
"This
is a very serious case where a Member of Parliament, a public figure, has been
brutally assaulted, which could have been fatal. Despite specific questions,
the accused has not cooperated in the investigation and has been evasive in his
replies," police told the court earlier.