The Supreme Court on Thursday grilled Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's personal aide Bibhav Kumar, accused of assaulting Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal. The Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta, Surya Kant, and Ujjal Bhuyan, told senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi that it was shocked with the details of the incident.
The top court said that it was simply appalled by the fact that a 'goon' entered the Chief Minister's residence and assaulted Maliwal.
The three-judge bench was hearing the bail plea filed by Bibhav Kumar challenging the Delhi High Court's July 12 order that denied him bail in the Swati Maliwal assault case.
Kumar has claimed that the allegations against him are false and that his custody was no longer needed as the probe was over. Bibhav Kumar has been in judicial custody for the past 75 days, AM Singhvi told the Supreme Court.
During the course of the hearing, the bench said: "Is the Chief Minister's bungalow a private residence? Is that office required to keep such goons? IS this the way it is? We are shocked. The question is how this happened."
The top court also mentioned that the AAP MP asked Kumar to stop attacking her but the latter continued. Further, the top court pulled up Kejriwal's aide for his conduct.
"What does he think (of himself)? Does he have power in his head? You made it look as if a goon has entered the premises. Does Bibhav Kumar have any shame in doing this? Swati Maliwal is a young woman," the bench said. The top court also said that Kumar was a former secretary and that nobody present in the room had the guts to say anything against Bibhav Kumar.
"You were the former secretary, if the victim had no right to stay there, you had no right to stay there. Do you think anyone present in that room would have had the guts to say anything against Bibhav?" it added.
Kumar allegedly assaulted Swati Maliwal on May 13 this year at Kejriwal's official residence. Three days later, an FIR was registered against Kumar under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to criminal intimidation, assault or using criminal force on a woman with the intent to disrobe, and attempt to commit culpable homicide.
He was arrested on May 18. While denying bail to Kumar, the Delhi HC said that he enjoys "considerable influence" and no ground was made out to grant him relief. The high court also said that if Kumar is released on bail, the possibility of influencing the witnesses or tampering with the evidence cannot be ruled out.