New Delhi, Aug 07
The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Delhi Police to respond by August 21 to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s close aide Bibhav Kumar’s plea for bail in the AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal assault case.Giving two weeks to Delhi Police to file their reply, a Bench led by Justice Surya Kant posted the matter for hearing on August 27.
As Additional Solicitor General SV Raju asked for three weeks to file a reply on behalf of the Delhi Police, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kumar, opposed it, saying a charge sheet had already been filed in the case.
Accused of assaulting Maliwal at the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence, Kumar had on August 1 faced the wrath of the Supreme Court which wondered if “power has gone into his head”.“Is CM residence a private bungalow? Is this kind of ’goon’ supposed to work in the CM’s residence?” the Bench had wondered.
“Every day we grant bail to contract killers, murderers, robbers but the question is what kind of incident… He acted as if some ’goon’ had entered the official residence of CM. We are shocked… Is this a way to deal with a young lady? He assaulted her even after she told about her physical conditions,” the Bench had told Singhvi.
Kumar is currently in judicial custody following his arrest on May 18 for allegedly assaulting Maliwal on May 13 at Kejriwal’s official residence here.
Maliwal had lodged the FIR against Kumar on May 16 under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including those relating to criminal intimidation, assault or use of criminal force on a woman with the intent to disrobe, and attempt to commit culpable homicide.
Earlier, a Sessions Court had in May dismissed Kumar’s bail plea, saying there appeared no “pre-meditation” by Maliwal in lodging the FIR and that her allegations could not be “swiped away”.
Kumar has challenged the July 12 order of the Delhi High Court dismissing his bail plea. He contended the allegations against him were false and that his custody was no longer required as the probe was over.
Issuing notice to the Delhi Police, the Bench had said that the fact that Maliwal had to call the emergency number immediately after the incident belied Kumar’s “story that the AAP MP subsequently concocted the whole thing”.
