Delhi Court Extends Judicial Custody of Bibhav Kumar till Sept 13

Delhi’s Tis Hazari Court on Saturday extended the judicial custody of Bibhav Kumar till September 13, 2024.

Kumar stands accused of assaulting AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on May 13 at Delhi chief minister’s official residence.

Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Gaurav Goyal also directed the Investigation Officer to respond to Bibhav Kumar’s plea for pagination of the charge sheet and documents provided to his counsel.

Kumar appeared via video conferencing from Tihar Jail. Advocate Rajat Bhardwaj represented Kumar.

The Delhi Police has filed a charge sheet against Kumar, and the case is currently at the document scrutiny stage.

On July 30, the court took cognizance of the charge sheet filed on July 16. The police have charged Kumar under Sections 308, 354, 354B, 506, 509, and 341 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), with Section 201 also included. The evidence submitted includes Kumar’s mobile phone, a SIM card, and DVR/NVR footage from CCTV cameras installed at the Chief Minister’s residence.

The charge sheet, comprising 500 pages, includes statements from 100 examined individuals, with 50 designated as witnesses. The court has instructed the jail authorities to produce Kumar via video conferencing for the next hearing. His bail plea was denied by the trial court and a subsequent application was recently rejected by the High Court.

Kumar was arrested on May 18 based on a complaint filed by AAP MP Swati Maliwal. The alleged incident occurred on May 13 at the Chief Minister’s residence.

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