Swati Maliwal Assault Case: Court Extends Bibhav Kumar's Judicial Custody Till July 16

New Delhi: The Tis Hazari court in Delhi has extended the judicial custody of Bibhav Kumar until July 16 in connection with the alleged assault case involving Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal. Bibhav Kumar is an aide to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Mr. Kumar was accused of assaulting Swati Maliwal on May 13 at the Chief Minister's official residence. He was produced through video conferencing before Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal, who extended his judicial custody. 

The court had previously dismissed Bibhav's bail petition, emphasizing that the investigation is still at an initial stage and that influencing witnesses and tampering with evidence cannot be ruled out. The Delhi High Court has also issued notice to Delhi Police on a plea by Bibhav Kumar seeking to declare his arrest as illegal. 

In a letter addressed to opposition leaders like Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal expressed her distress over the 'brutal victim shaming and character assassination' she faced from her own party. Maliwal had filed a case against Bibhav Kumar, an aide of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, for an alleged assault.