New Delhi:

The Delhi High Court has refused to quash an FIR against AAP MP Swati Maliwal for allegedly disclosing the identity of a 14-year-old rape victim who succumbed to injuries.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna said Maliwal’s claim that she was protected from prosecution as her actions were in good faith would have to be proved at an appropriate stage and there was no ground for closing the proceedings in the present plea.

Delhi Police registered the FIR against Maliwal in 2016 when she was the chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women, and said there was a blatant violation of provisions of Juvenile Justice Act, which protect the identity of a minor victim of sexual offence.

“Prima facie, offence under Section 74 read with Section 86 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 is clearly disclosed. Insofar as the petitioner’s claim that she has protection under Section 100 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 for her actions done in good faith is concerned, it is her defence which is required to be proved in accordance with law at the appropriate stage,” the court said on February 13.

The judge added, “Therefore, there is no ground for quashing of the FIR and the proceedings…” Maliwal sought a court-monitored probe in the matter, saying despite the minor’s death, the police did not invoke the murder charge in the FIR.

The court said the prayer was infructuous as a chargesheet was filed in the two cases in relation to the incident and the cases were pending trial.

It is now for the trial court to consider them and no fruitful purpose would be served by referring further investigation to an SIT, the court said.

The minor girl succumbed to injuries on July 23, 2016 in a hospital after being sexually assaulted by her neighbour who allegedly forced a corrosive substance down her throat and damaged her internal organs.

The police said Maliwal circulated a notice she had sent to the area deputy commissioner of police, in which she sought to know about the investigation in the rape case.

The notice, which was given to the print and electronic media, reportedly named victim.

The FIR alleged that the notice was “intentionally circulated” on various WhatsApp groups and shown by TV channels.

On account of the presence of the consent of the victim’s parents to disclose her name, Section 228A (Prohibition on disclosure of identity of the victim) of the IPC was dropped and Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act was added in the case. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal was detained by the police Thursday afternoon after she dumped three mini-truckloads of garbage outside the residence of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in protest.

Earlier in the day, Maliwal visited Vikaspuri, where she claimed that the streets were choked with waste, posing severe health and hygiene issues for residents.

Maliwal, along with a group of supporters, collected the garbage in three mini trucks and headed to Kejriwal’s residence at 5, Ferozeshah Road.

Accompanied by hundreds of women holding placards that read, “Muskuraiye, AAP Delhi Mein Hain,” Maliwal dumped the garbage outside Kejriwal’s house, using a shovel to throw waste onto the ground. Soon after, she was confronted by female police personnel and removed from the site. She was subsequently detained and taken to the Parliament Street Police Station.

According to Maliwal, she was released after a few hours and an FIR was registered against her under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for violating prohibitory orders.

After her release, Maliwal told reporters, “For the past ten years, Arvind Kejriwal has ensured that Delhi becomes a giant garbage dump. Roads are broken, drains are overflowing, and waste is piling up everywhere. Women and children are forced to live in unhygienic conditions, and yet the government does nothing.” 

Earlier, Maliwal shared a video on X, showing her and others collecting garbage from Vikaspuri. “There have been heaps of garbage on the roads in Vikaspuri for years. People are very angry. They are going to collect all this garbage and dump it at Kejriwal’s house,” she wrote in the post.

She added, “The condition of the entire Delhi has deteriorated. The filth and stink that Delhiites face daily will be faced by Kejriwal ji today. The public is coming, Kejriwal ji, don’t be afraid.” Maliwal has had a strained relationship with AAP and Kejriwal since last year when she alleged that she was misbehaved with at his residence by his personal secretary. The matter is currently being heard in court.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Expressing her anguish over the condition of water being supplied to the residents of the national capital, Aam Aadmi Party MP Swati Maliwal on Saturday filled a bottle with polluted water and poured it outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Atishi.

After surveying the homes of Dwarka residents and evaluating the water quality being supplied, AAP MP Swati Maliwal reported that dirty, black, foul-smelling water was being supplied to their houses. In response, she opened a tap at one of the homes, collected the water in a bottle, and threw it outside the residence of the Delhi Chief Minister.

“The people of Sagarpur, Dwarka had called me and the situation there is very bad… I went to a house and black water was being supplied there. I filled that black water in a bottle and brought that water here, at the Chief Minister’s residence. Since 2015, we have been hearing that next year everything will be fine… That black water which I have brought – have they no shame, will Delhi drink this?” Ms Maliwal asked.

Ms Maliwal said that if the condition of the supply of water does not improve in the area, she will come back with a foul-smelling tanker of water.

Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal arrives at Delhi CM Atishi’s residence, carrying polluted water from the Dwarka region pic.twitter.com/Da4fkEFkFA

— IANS (@ians_india) November 2, 2024

“I warned the Chief Minister – this was just a sample. If within fifteen days she does not fix the water supply of the entire Delhi, I will bring a whole tanker full of such water. I am leaving this water for her. She can bathe with this water, drink this water or purify her sins… Chhath Puja is coming. Today was Govardhan Puja, yesterday was Diwali and this is the condition of Delhi… Who can drink this water and live? Who can stay alive after drinking this water? The Chief Minister is also the Water Minister. Is her job just to hold ten press conferences every day?” she asked.

Ms Maliwal criticised Dwarka MLA Vinay Mishra, pointing out that despite his position as Vice President of the Delhi Jal Board, residents in the Dwarka area are forced to drink contaminated water.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of playing “dirty politics” which she claimed is the real cause behind both air and water pollution in the city.

She assured the public that under the leadership of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi government is actively working to resolve the situation.

“The pollution levels in Delhi are increasing. Not only is air pollution rising, but pollution in the Yamuna River has also worsened over the past few days, as evidenced by the formation of toxic foam at Kalindi Kunj. Today, the people of Delhi want to know the reason behind this, and I tell them, the real reason is the dirty politics of the BJP. Everyone is aware that stubble burning is a major contributor to rising pollution levels in Delhi during winter,” she said.

“The AAP government in Punjab has significantly reduced stubble burning over the past two years. According to the Centre’s own statistics, incidents of stubble burning have been halved since the AAP took charge in Punjab. In contrast, if you look at Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, stubble burning has actually increased. In Haryana, farm fires have risen by 23%, and in Uttar Pradesh, they have surged by 70%,” she added.

Promising action to combat the rising pollution levels, Ms Atishi said, “We are continuously working to find solutions under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal. For the past two years, we have been defoaming the Yamuna, and we will begin this process again.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bibhav Kumar, an aide of Arvind Kejriwal, cannot enter the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence till all witnesses are examined in the Swati Maliwal assault case, said the Supreme Court granting him bail on Monday.

A Rajya Sabha member, Ms Maliwal,39, has alleged that Bibhav Kumar assaulted her at the Chief Minister’s residence on May 13. 

The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan also imposed certain conditions on Mr Kumar, saying he shall not be restored as Personal Secretary of Delhi Chief Minister or any political office associated with the Chief Minister’s office.

The top court further said that 43-year-old Kumar shall not enter the Chief Minister’s residence till all witnesses are examined.

Mr Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal’s aide since the India Against Corruption days, shall not make any public comment on the case which is sub judice before trial court, said the top court.

The court also took into account that Mr Kumar has been in custody for 100 days and chargesheet has already been filed in the case.

It also considered that there are more than 51 witnesses proposed by the prosecution for examination and the conclusion of the trial will take some time.

“Petitioner is in custody for 100 days. Chargesheet filed. Injuries are simple. It’s a case for bail, you should not oppose. You can’t keep a person in jail in such case,” said the top court to SV Raju, the lawyer representing Delhi police, who was opposing the grant of bail to Mr Kumar.

Mr Kumar had approached the top court challenging the Delhi High Court’s order denying him bail.

On July 12, High Court had dismissed Mr Kumar’s bail plea, saying he enjoys “considerable influence” and no ground to grant him the relief was made out.

The High Court had said that it cannot be ruled out that witnesses may be influenced or evidence tampered with in case Mr Kumar is released on bail.

On May 16, an FIR was registered against Mr Kumar under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to criminal intimidation, assault or using criminal force on a woman with the intent to disrobe, and attempt to commit culpable homicide.
 

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to Delhi Police on a bail plea filed by Bibhav Kumar, an aide of Aam Aadmi Party boss and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Mr Kumar was arrested in May after allegations of assault, inside Mr Kejriwal’s home, by AAP MP Swati Maliwal.

The next hearing has been set for August 7.

Bibhav Kumar was earlier denied bail by the Delhi High Court and a trial court.

Mr Kumar, in judicial custody till July 16, faces charges of criminal intimidation, assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to disrobe, and attempt to commit culpable homicide.

He also faces charges of “disappearing evidence and giving false information”.

In the brief hearing this morning the court acknowledged “we normally grant bail… we grant bail to murderers and killers”. However, in what may be seen as a bad sign going forward, it also remarked “look at the FIR. She (Ms Maliwal) was crying (during the assault)” and seemed unconvinced by arguments that Bibhav Kumar, if given bail, would not influence witnesses.

“If this kind of person can’t influence who can? Was anyone in the drawing room (of the Chief Minister’s home, where the alleged assault began) to speak against him… he doesn’t seem ashamed, we think,” a bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan remarked.

The court, in a particularly strong observation, also called Mr Kumar a “goon”.

Earlier today senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Mr Kumar, began by questioning the delay by Ms Maliwal in filing her complaint. He referred to Ms Maliwal’s visit to Delhi’s Civil Lines Police Station on May 13 (the day of the alleged assault) and the “strange story” in her FIR.

READ | 500-Page Chargesheet Against Kejriwal’s Aide In Swati Maliwal Case

“Incident was on May 13. FIR was lodged May 16… the story in FIR is strange. She went on the first day to the police station but came back (Ms Maliwal did not file a police complaint or make a statement on that day). Did not lodge FIR. Three days later, FIR was lodged with injuries…”

Mr Singhvi also argued that there are contradictions in Ms Maliwal’s complaints. “Even trial court should have granted bail… there are contradictions about where she says she was hit.”

In her complaint Ms Maliwal said she was hit in the chest, stomach and pelvic areas, and that she felt “absolutely shocked and was screaming for help over and over again”.

“In order to protect myself, I pushed him away with my legs. At that time, he pounced on me, brutally dragged and deliberately pulled my shirt up,” she told the cops.

READ | AAP Says Kejriwal Home Video Exposes Swati Maliwal “Lie”, She Snaps

On the claimed delay, the court pointed out that Ms Maliwal, the former head of the Delhi Commission for Women, had called the police helpline (112) “immediately after the incident”.

Delhi Police later confirmed a call had been placed – from Ms Maliwal’s phone and from inside Mr Kejriwal’s residence. The caller did not, however, reveal their identity, the police said.

“If she is calling 112 immediately after incident, what does it show?” the court shot back.

The court also questioned claims Ms Maliwal should be prosecuted as she had “trespassed” on Mr Kejriwal’s home. “Is it a private residence or office of Chief Minister?” the court asked.

Ms Maliwal has maintained she had an appointment with the Chief Minister on that day.

Mr Singhvi then objected to the court “treating the FIR as gospel” but was told the court is only interested in due processes. “We are not bothered by your internal and other politics.”

READ | Delhi LG Backs Swati Maliwal, AAP Says It Proves Her BJP Link

Bibhav Kumar has denied all allegations by Swati Maliwal, and the AAP has claimed that their senior leader is part of a “conspiracy” orchestrated by its main rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party.

READ | Swati Maliwal Cries In Court, Claims Threat If Bibhav Kumar Gets Bail

Last month, ahead of the trial court’s verdict on his bail appeal, Ms Maliwal claimed there would be threats to her life, and her family, if Mr Kumar were to be released from jail.

The case has sparked a predictable political spat between the AAP and the BJP, which has accused Mr Kejriwal of shielding his aide. The BJP has launched multiple protests on this issue.

The BJP has also demanded that Mr Kejriwal – battling legal problems of his own following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in March – resign, a demand he has rebuffed.

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New Delhi:

A purported recording of an alleged telephonic conversation between AAP MP Swati Maliwal and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was shared on social media with a claim that both of them talked about the assault case she filed against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that the viral audio clip is AI-generated voice clones of Atishi and Rathee, and was shared on social media with a false claim.

On May 13, Swati Maliwal alleged that she was assaulted by Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar at the Chief Minister’s residence in Delhi.

Claim

A Facebook user shared on May 25 a video of a purported call recording between AAP leader Swati Maliwal and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, in which the former can be heard saying that she was assaulted at the behest of Delhi CM’s wife Sunita Kejriwal.

An English translation of the caption read, “Delhi Swati Maliwal and Dhruv Rathi’s video went viral Swati Maliwal asked Dhruv Rathi not to make videos as per your request. Beating happened at the behest of Kejriwal and Sunita Ghruv makes video on opposition’s agenda.”

Here is the link and archive link and below is a screenshot of the same:

Investigation

The Desk listened to the audio and noticed several discrepancies in it. Also, several words were repeatedly pronounced.

Starting the investigation, the Desk ran the video through InVid Tool Search and found several keyframes. On running one of the keyframes through Google Lens, the Desk found several posts carrying the same video with similar claims.

Two such posts can be found here and here, and their archived versions of the same can be found here and here, respectively.

The video was widely shared on YouTube as well. Three such posts can be viewed here, here and here, and their archived versions can be found here, here, and here, respectively.

The Desk noticed one of the comments on the posts, claiming that the post was fake and action should be taken against it.

Below is a screenshot of the same:

The Desk again listened to the audio closely, and found that discrepancies which suggested that it might be fake or digitally created.

At 00:07 and 00:09 seconds, jump-cuts and overlaying of voices of Rathee and Maliwal can be clearly noticed.

The Desk then ran the viral video through Itisaar, an AI detection tool developed in collaboration with IIT Jodhpur. The tool confirmed that the audio was AI generated and conclusively fake with a high confidence level.

Subsequently, the Desk concluded that a fake AI-generated audio clip was shared with the claim that it was the recording of telephonic conversation between Swati Maliwal and Dhruv Rathee.

CLAIM

A purported call recording between AAP MP Swati Maliwal and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, in which they discussed the alleged physical assault on the former.

FACT

The audio clip is fake, generated using AI.

CONCLUSION

Several social media users shared a purported call recording between AAP MP Swati Maliwal and YouTuber Dhruvv Rathee. In its investigation, the Desk found that an AI-generated audio clip was shared on social media with false claim.

(This story was originally published by PTI, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective)

New Delhi:

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal hit out at the party on Friday alleging that an attempt was made to portray her as a “villain” and Delhi Chief Minister’s aide Bibhav Kumar as a “hero” after she made assault allegations against him.

“I am very hurt and saddened by the behaviour of Arvind Kejriwal. I and my entire family are in trauma because I have been working since 2006. I have been working since I had no position or prestige. There were no governments in the two states then. I have been working since then, with passion, selflessness, and honesty,” AAP leader Ms Maliwal told ANI.

Ms Maliwal alleged victim-shaming by the party adding that her character was “maligned” and she was left “alone in the entire battle.”

“But the truth is that when I was being beaten badly….in Arvind Kejriwal’s drawing room, he did not come. No one came to save me. And an out-of-court trial was conducted in which I was declared guilty. To date, he neither rang me nor came to meet me and he has not helped me anywhere. The entire party and he are standing with Bibhav Kumar at this time. So in such a situation, I am very sad because Arvind Kejriwal, who expresses his views on every issue, did not consider it necessary to support me on my issue, to take a stand for me, or to talk about my issue,” she said.

“Bibhav Kumar beat me up very badly in Arvind Kejriwal’s drawing room, and as soon as I filed a complaint in this matter, the entire party’s resources and leadership were used against me. Every day I was victim-shamed, my character was maligned,” she told ANI on Friday.

She further pointed out that Bibhav Kumar accompanied Kejriwal during his visit to Lucknow and Amritsar for campaigning in Lok Sabha polls.

“As soon as Delhi Police arrested Bibhav Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal himself and the entire party took to the streets to protest against his arrest. An attempt was made to portray that he is the hero and I am the villain,” the AAP MP said.

Ms Maliwal expressed confidence in the judiciary in the matter and said, “Today I have been left alone in this entire battle just because I have filed a complaint against Bibhav Kumar. I am fighting this battle alone and I will continue to fight till the end. Because I know that what I have said is the complete truth. In this entire battle, my only hope is from the court for justice.”

Earlier in the day, Delhi’s Tiz Hazari court remanded Bibhav Kumar in 14-day judicial custody in connection with the alleged assault on Ms Maliwal.

Mr Kumar was produced before the court after the three-day police custody granted on May 28 ended on Friday. He was arrested by the Delhi Police on May 18, in connection with the case.

Ms Maliwal lodged a complaint with the Delhi police against Bibhav Kumar on May 14, a day after the alleged assault took place. A day later, Bibhav Kumar lodged a counter-complaint with the police, accusing Ms Maliwal of gaining ‘unauthorised entry’ into the CM’s Civil Lines residence and ‘verbally abusing’ him.

A case was filed against Bibhav Kumar and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to investigate the case based on Ms Maliwal’s complaint. Bibhav was arrested by the Delhi Police on May 19.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Sunday said that she has been receiving rape and death threats after a “character assassination” campaign allegedly orchestrated by party leaders and volunteers.

She said that the situation escalated after the YouTuber Dhruv Rathee posted a one-sided video against her.

“After the leaders and volunteers of my party, i.e., AAP orchestrated a campaign of character assassination, victim shaming, and fanning of emotions against me, I have been getting rape and death threats. This got further exacerbated when YouTuber @Dhruv_Rathee posted a one-sided video against me,” Ms Maliwal wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.

Swati Maliwal accused the party leadership of trying to intimidate her into withdrawing her complaint. She also expressed disappointment with Dhruv Rathee, saying that despite her efforts to contact him and share her side of the story, he ignored her calls and messages.

“It is shameful that people like him, who claim to be independent journalists, could act like other AAP spokespersons and victim-shame me to the extent that I am now facing extreme abuses and threats,” she added.

After the leaders and volunteers of my party i.e. AAP orchestrated a campaign of charachter assassination, victim shaming and fanning of emotions against me, I have been getting rape and death threats.

This got further exacerbated when YouTuber @Dhruv_Rathee posted a one-sided… pic.twitter.com/EfCHHWW0xu

— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) May 26, 2024

Ms Maliwal listed several points that she felt were neglected in Dhruv Rathee’s 2.5-minute video:

She said Dhruv Rathee failed to mention: why the AAP took a U-turn after accepting that the incident happened; the ⁠MLC report that reveals injuries due to the assault; selected part of the video was released and then the phone of the accused was formatted; the accused was arrested from the crime scene (CM house). Why was he allowed to enter the place again? For tampering of evidence?; and how a woman who always stood for the right issues, even went to Manipur alone without security could be bought over by the BJP?

“The manner in which the entire party machinery and its supporters have attempted to vilify and shame me speaks volumes about their stand on women’s issues. I am reporting these rape and death threats to @DelhiPolice. I hope they take strong action against the perpetrators,” Maliwal said.

She concluded by noting, “In any case, if something happens to me, we know who instigated it.”

Bibhav Kumar was arrested on May 18 in connection with the assault on Maliwal at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence on May 13.

Mr Kumar, a former PS to Kejriwal, on Saturday moved local court seeking bail. The court has issued notice to Delhi Police and sought its reply.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Recounting her ordeal on May 13, AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal has said she was slapped seven to eight times, dragged by her foot, and her head had hit the table when she was assaulted at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence by his personal assistant, Bibhav Kumar. 

Ms Maliwal said she kept screaming throughout, but no one came to her rescue. “I am not giving a clean chit to anybody. Arvind Kejriwal was at home when the assault happened,” she told news agency ANI. 

Mr Kumar has been arrested and is in police custody. The attack has also sparked a political firestorm, with the BJP attacking the Aam Aadmi Party and Mr Kejriwal – who is its convenor – and questioning their stance on the safety of women. The AAP has hit back, pointing to the alleged shielding of people like BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and also alleged that Ms Maliwal is “working for” the ruling party at the Centre. 

Speaking to ANI, Ms Maliwal, who is a former chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, said she had gone to the chief minister’s residence at 9 am and staff members had asked her to wait in the drawing room.

“They told me Arvind ji is at home and is coming to meet me. In the meantime, Bibhav Kumar stormed into the room (“dhandhanate huye aate hai“) and I just asked him, ‘What happened? Arvind ji is coming, what happened?’ and he started attacking me. He slapped me hard seven to eight times. When I tried to push him, he held my foot and dragged me. My head hit the centre table,” the MP said in Hindi. 

When she fell, Ms Maliwal claimed, he began kicking her. She said she kept screaming at the top of her voice, but no one came to her aid. 

Asked whether she was claiming that Mr Kumar did what he did at someone’s instructions, Ms Maliwal said, “This is a matter of investigation and I am cooperating with the Delhi Police. At the same time, I am not giving anyone a clean chit. The fact is that I was in the drawing room, Arvind Kejriwal was at home and I was beaten up very badly. I screamed and shouted, but no one came.”

The MP said she did not think about her career or what she would have to go through before raising her voice. 

“I just thought that I had to live by what I have always told women – that they should stand by the truth, make truthful complaints and fight if they have been wronged. So how can I not fight,” she asked. 

‘Free And Fair Probe’

Reacting to Ms Maliwal’s claims, Mr Kejriwal had said on Wednesday that he wants a free and fair investigation, but had stressed that there are two versions to every event. 

“…I expect there will be a fair investigation. Justice should be served. There are two versions of the event. Police should investigate both versions fairly and justice should be done,” the chief minister had said. 

Ms Maliwal had hit back almost immediately and said it was ironic that the person who had “assassinated her character” and called her a “BJP agent” was now calling for a free and fair probe. 

New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s parents will be interrogated in the row linked to his party MP Swati Maliwal. The interrogation by the Delhi Police will take place tomorrow, the Chief Minister posted on social media this evening.

“Tomorrow Delhi Police will come to interrogate my old and sick parents,” read a rough translation of his post on X, formerly Twitter.

कल दिल्ली पुलिस मेरे बूढ़े और बीमार माता पिता से पूछताछ करने आएगी।

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 22, 2024

Sources in Delhi Police said in her statement, Ms Maliwal said when she had gone to Mr Kejriwal’s house on May 13, his wife Sunita Kejriwal and his parents were having breakfast. Ms Maliwal said she had greeted them before returning to the drawing room.

Later, in the drawing room, she was allegedly assaulted by Mr Kejriwal’s personal assistant Bibhav Kumar. The AAP MP claimed that he kicked her in the chest, stomach and pelvic area and had brutally “dragged her and pulled her shirt up”.

In his first comment on the matter today, Mr Kejriwal said he wishes for a fair investigation. “There are two versions of the event. Police should investigate both versions fairly and justice should be done,” he said, drawing a derisive response from the former chief of the women’s commission.

Ms Maliwal said it was ironic that the person responsible for her “character assassination” is calling for a fair probe.

“After unleashing the entire army of leaders and volunteers at me, calling me a BJP agent, assassinating my character, leaking edited videos, victim shaming me, roaming around with the accused, letting him re enter the crime scene and tamper evidences and protesting in favour of the accused, the Chief Minister, in whose drawing room I was beaten up, has finally said that he wants free and fair investigation in the matter,” the MP said in a post on X.