New Dehli- Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal on Thursday recorded her statement with the Delhi Police, accusing Arvind Kejriwal's personal secretary Bibhav Kumar of physically assaulting her at the Chief Minister's residence on Monday, according to officials aware of the matter.
In her statement recorded over four-and-a-half hours, Maliwal alleged that Kumar "outraged her modesty, slapped, kicked and threatened" her, prompting the police to register an FIR against him under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
"Maliwal's statement has been recorded, and we are treating it as a complaint. After consulting legal experts, the FIR has been registered," a police officer said.
Later in the evening, Maliwal broke her silence on the assault incident, urging the BJP not to politicize the matter. "What happened to me was very bad. I have given my statement to the police on the incident that happened to me. I hope that appropriate action will be taken," she said in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokespersons did not respond to requests for comment, while Kumar remained unreachable for his version.
Meanwhile, the BJP criticized Kejriwal after he was spotted arriving in Lucknow with Kumar and senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh. BJP's Shehzad Poonawala accused the AAP of trying to shield Kumar, sharing an image of the leaders together.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva slammed the AAP, saying Kejriwal has "shamefully remained silent" and failed to take action against Kumar despite Singh's earlier statement that the CM had sought strict action.
The incident has sparked a political storm, with the opposition BJP accusing the AAP of shielding the accused and Maliwal urging against politicization of the matter.
