Delhi Police to verify Maliwal’s allegations and Bibhav’s statements with seized DVR

NEW DELHI: In a recent development in the case of assault on Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, the accused Bibhav Kumar is in police custody for five days. Notably, Delhi Police had sought a seven-day custody of Bibhav Kumar from the court, alleging an attempt to erase evidence at the CM’s residence.

Meanwhile, a police team collected electronic devices including CCTV DVR (digital video recorder) to potentially get the footage of the alleged assault on Maliwal on May 13 when Bibhav Kumar, Kejriwal’s close aide, allegedly attacked her at the CM’s residence.

Maliwal has alleged that the CCTV footage of the CM’s residence was being tampered with.

Delhi Police, following Swati Maliwal’s statement and Bibhav’s interrogation, aims to cross-verify events with seized DVR footage. The police seek to ascertain the alignment between Maliwal’s allegations, Vibhav’s statements during interrogation, and the CCTV DVR recordings of the incident.

According to the remand copy, the accused claimed to have formatted his mobile phone in Mumbai recently, while allegedly using an iPhone-15, which is password-protected, rendering access without his assistance impossible. To retrieve formatted or deleted mobile data and authenticate the formatting claim, police intend to consult experts, considering this data crucial evidence.

Moreover, Bibhav asserted his role as the private secretary to Delhi’s Chief Minister, though his services were reportedly terminated earlier. Police aim to probe his activities within the CM’s residence/office, considering its sensitive security nature, and have highlighted the necessity of questioning him.

Additionally, Bibhav’s lack of clarification regarding his work hierarchy and absence of documented orders concerning his duties raises suspicion. The interrogation seeks to unravel any potential involvement of others behind the assault on the public figure and parliamentarian without provocation.