Bibhav Kumar, accused of assaulting Swati Maliwal, has been sent to judicial custody. Delhi Police state that Kumar is not cooperating with the investigation. Meanwhile, the views of Swati Maliwal and Arvind Kejriwal on the incident at the Chief Minister's residence have surfaced.
Arvind Kejriwal repeatedly mentions there are two versions of the event but avoids further comments, claiming it might influence the investigation. He regards Swati Maliwal's claims as her perspective and perhaps not the absolute truth.
In an interview, Swati Maliwal narrated her entire experience and addressed questions circulating on social media. Although connecting various sources provides some clarity, many aspects remain vague. Answers to key questions could reveal the complete truth.
1. Why Was Swati Maliwal Assaulted?
This is the most significant and mysterious question.
Regarding the May 13 incident, Swati Maliwal recounts, 'I went to meet Arvind Kejriwal... The staff asked me to wait in the drawing room... I was informed that Kejriwal was at home... and he was coming to meet me... Meanwhile, Bibhav Kumar arrived and started abusing me... Who do you think you are? He said a lot more... He slapped me hard 7-8 times... I called the police... When he realized that I had called the police, he went out and brought in security.
Why did Bibhav Kumar immediately start abusing and slapping Swati Maliwal, especially when Arvind Kejriwal was present at his official residence?
2. Why Did Bibhav Kumar Attack Immediately?
Was this sudden? Something must have happened beforehand.
Swati Maliwal claims that Bibhav Kumar is Arvind Kejriwal's closest confidant, the most powerful person in the party that everyone fears.
Being Kejriwal's most trusted aide, how did Bibhav Kumar muster the courage to assault Swati Maliwal, who has been working with Kejriwal for so long?
According to Swati Maliwal, Bibhav Kumar said - Who do you think you are?
What prompted Kumar to speak in such a manner? Undoubtedly, something prior triggered his reaction.
Swati Maliwal's account suggests she was not invited there. The mention of an appointment indicates she came on her own. She also mentions that she never had to make an appointment to meet before.
A crucial question is, what happened before the assault? Uncovering this is pivotal to understanding why Bibhav Kumar behaved that way.
3. Why Didn't She File a Complaint at the Police Station?
Swati Maliwal explains, 'After the incident, I went to the police station and cried a lot in front of the SHO... I didn't want to politicize the matter... Later, several senior party leaders came to my house and assured me that the party would take action.
Her statements imply that if Arvind Kejriwal had taken action against Bibhav Kumar, she wouldn't have filed a police case. She decided to seek police help after seeing a photograph of Kumar with Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh from Lucknow.
The events between calling the police and filing a written complaint are crucial. If Kejriwal had taken appropriate actions, the situation might not have escalated.
4. What Was Sanjay Singh's Role in Mediating?
According to Swati Maliwal, Sanjay Singh visited her house and spoke to Bibhav Kumar. The next day, Singh mentioned that Kejriwal was considering the matter and would take action.
Singh seems to have significant knowledge about the entire event. However, his exact location during the incident remains undisclosed.
Swati Maliwal suggests that only she and Bibhav Kumar were at the scene, with security arriving later upon Kumar's call. Thus, CCTV might be the only eyewitness if installed.
Until Sanjay Singh speaks further on the matter, understanding his role is challenging. His presence with Kejriwal in Lucknow indicates his alignment with Kejriwal and not with Swati Maliwal.
Sanjay Singh's attempts to mediate appear to have failed thus far.
5. Is Swati Maliwal Ready to Face the Truth, But Is the Other Side?
Swati Maliwal asserts, 'Daily press conferences are being conducted to pressure me into dropping the matter... Every word in my FIR is completely true... I am prepared for a polygraph and narco test.'
Arvind Kejriwal considers Maliwal's claims as one version of the event, with the other version presumably from Bibhav Kumar.
Will Kejriwal recommend a narco and polygraph test for Bibhav Kumar to uncover the truth?
6. Why Didn't Arvind Kejriwal Support Swati Maliwal?
Is Swati Maliwal left to fight alone after the assault?
She states, 'I am not cheap... I know I am alone in this battle... I will fight alone, but I will fight.'
Why is Kejriwal trusting Kumar's words over Maliwal's, especially since he wasn't present there? Was it because Maliwal called the police?
Such actions are only expected in two scenarios: either there was no help available, or those present were mere spectators.
Both Swati Maliwal and Bibhav Kumar have worked with Kejriwal for years - then, why didn't Kejriwal support Maliwal?
7. Was This Incident Related to a Rajya Sabha Resignation?
In an ANI interview, Swati Maliwal was asked about the pressure to give up her Rajya Sabha seat for a lawyer. The topic gained significant traction on social media, suggesting she was pressured to resign to make way for Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who played a crucial role in securing bail for Kejriwal during the Lok Sabha election campaign. Moreover, questions arose over Maliwal's absence during Kejriwal's arrest.
To this, Maliwal responded, 'If they had asked for my Rajya Sabha seat with love, I would have given my life... A seat is a minor thing... But after what they did to me, no force in the world can make me resign.'
Maliwal's response is politically nuanced. She neither confirms nor denies being asked to resign.
Her statements hint that the topic of resignation was indeed discussed somewhere.
'No force in the world can make me resign' - what does this signify?
