'Not giving clean chit to anyone, Arvind Kejriwal was at home': Swati Maliwal recounts her ordeal

Swati Maliwal

Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP, Swati Maliwal, in an interview with news agency ANI recounted her May 13 ordeal and said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was present when she was assaulted by his aide Bibhav Kumar.

Maliwal's public disclosure comes after Arvind Kejriwal's first direct reaction to the alleged assault on his party's Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, which has kicked up a political firestorm, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said he expects that a fair investigation will be conducted and justice will be done.

"I went to Kejriwal's residence on May 13 around 9am. The staff made me sit in the drawing room and told me that Kejriwal would come to meet me there...By that time, Bibhav barged into the room. I told him Arvind ji was coming to meet me, what's the issue. I said this much and he started beating me...He slapped me seven-eight times. When I tried to push him, he grabbed my legs and pulled me down on the floor. My head banged on the centre table. As I fell on the floor, he started kicking me. I screamed for help but nobody came," recounted the former DCW chief.

Maliwal has alleged that she was assaulted by Arvind Kejriwal's personal assistant, Bibhav Kumar, at the chief minister's residence on May 13. The AAP leader claimed Bibhav Kumar had kicked her in the chest, stomach and pelvic area and had brutally "dragged her and pulled her shirt up".

On a question on whether Bibhav was instructed to beat her up, Swati Maliwal said, "It is a matter of investigation whether he acted on his own or whether he was instructed to do so. I am cooperating with the investigation." "I am not giving any clean chit to anyone. The fact is I was being beaten up and Arvind Kejriwal was there," the MP added.