The assault case involving Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal has taken another legal turn as the Tis Hazari court has directed the Delhi Police to provide a list of documents and statements that were seized during the investigation but have not been used as evidence. The case centres around the alleged assault of Swati Maliwal, and the accused in this matter is Bibhav Kumar, who was charge-sheeted earlier this year.
During the hearing, the court asked the Delhi Police to compile a list of all the seized materials, including statements and documents that have not been relied upon in the case against Kumar.
This decision came after the accused’s legal team filed two applications requesting access to these materials. The court agreed with the defence's plea and directed that these documents be made available before the next scheduled hearing.
The court has also set October 26 as the next date for both the accused and the Delhi Police to appear for further proceedings. While issuing the direction, Judicial Magistrate Gaurav Goyal ensured that the rights of the accused were being considered by allowing access to the list of unreleased documents.
Bibhav Kumar, who was arrested in May, is facing serious charges. He was released on bail after his case was taken to the Supreme Court. The Delhi Police filed a charge sheet against him in July, and the court has since been scrutinising the submitted documents.
The charge sheet includes a range of accusations under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including charges related to assault, criminal intimidation, and outraging the modesty of a woman. Additional charges of destruction of evidence were also added to the case.
As part of the investigation, the police have annexed several pieces of evidence to support their case, including Bibhav Kumar's mobile phone, SIM card, and the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) or Network Video Recorder (NVR) from the CCTV cameras installed at the Chief Minister's residence. This evidence is crucial as it aims to establish the sequence of events leading to the alleged assault.
The legal proceedings are still in the early stages, and the court's direction to the Delhi Police to disclose all seized materials adds a layer of transparency to the process.
Both the prosecution and the defence will continue to engage in the scrutiny of the charge sheet, with the next hearing expected to provide further clarity on the matter.
The involvement of high-profile individuals in the case, including an AAP MP, has added public interest to the proceedings. The defence team, led by Advocate Rajat Bhardwaj and his colleagues Kaustubh Khanna and Karan Sharma, have been actively seeking access to all relevant documents to build their case.
On the other hand, the Additional Public Prosecutor, Atul Shrivastava, along with the investigation officer Anjitha Chipyala, has been opposing the defence’s applications.
With the next court date approaching, the legal battle over the alleged assault case continues to unfold. The focus will now be on how both sides use the provided documents and evidence to support their respective arguments in court.
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