Arvind Kejriwal spotted with aide Bibhav Kumar accused of assaulting AAP MP Swati Maliwal

Kumar has accompanied Kejriwal to Lucknow, where the AAP supremo will campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.

Kejriwal is likely to hold a joint press conference with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who are parts of the INDIA bloc.

Bibhav Kumar (L) and Swati Maliwal (R) | Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab/Swati Maliwal X handle

AAP leader Sanjay Singh, who was also spotted with Kejriwal, on Wednesday admitted Maliwal, a former Delhi Commission for Women chairperson, was misbehaved by Kumar, amid unconfirmed reports of the assault.

Singh called the incident "highly condemnable" and said Kejriwal, who has been on the receiving end of flak from rivals BJP since the news broke, "will take strict action".

"A very distressing incident took place yesterday morning. Arvind Kejriwal had called Swati Maliwal for a meeting. She was waiting in the drawing room to meet him when Bibhav Kumar came in and misbehaved with her. After this, Ms Maliwal called the police and told them what happened," Singh said.

"This is a condemnable incident. Arvind Kejriwal has taken cognisance and has said the strictest possible action should be taken..." Singh told reporters, "Swati Maliwal has done great work for the people and country, and is one of the party's oldest and senior-most leaders. We stand with her and will deal with this issue seriously, as per Mr Kejriwal's order. The AAP does not support such behavior."

Maliwal has not yet commented on the incident.

BJP slams Kejriwal

Slamming Kejriwal and AAP, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla posted on X, "72 hours No FIR on Bibhav Kumar instead Kejriwal is protecting him ! Roaming around with him.. It is clear- attack on Swati Maliwal was done at behest of Kejriwal himself "Sheesh Mahal is Apradh Mahal & just like Draupadi cheerharan - a woman Rajya Sabha MP was subjected to violence , assault.

"Now she is being pressured to keep. Silent or change her story as is evident from statements of Naveen Jaihind & Nitin Tyagi of AAP hence she hasn’t approached the police yet. True face of AAP - Anti women anarchist party."

Who is Kejriwal's PA Bibhav Kumar?

Prior to this fresh allegation, Bibhav Kumar was under the ED scanner in the liquor policy scam case and the financial irregularities in Delhi Jal Board.

Bibhav was quizzed by the ED last month. He was questioned to give some clarity in the excise policy case.

In March, he was sacked as the Personal Secretary to Delhi Chief Minister by the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV) which termed his appointment as "illegal".

In a case dated way back to 2007, he was also accused of obstructing a public servant from discharging his duties through "assault and use of criminal force".