The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Bibhav Kumar, an aide to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been accused of assaulting AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan noted that Kumar had been in custody for 100 days and that a chargesheet had already been filed. They acknowledged that with over 51 witnesses to be examined, the trial could take some time.
“Petitioner is in custody for 100 days. Chargesheet filed. Injuries are simple. It’s a case for bail, you should not oppose. You can’t keep a person in jail in such case,” the court told ASG SV Raju, who opposed the bail.
Conditions for Kumar include not resuming his role as PS to the Chief Minister, not entering the Chief Minister’s residence, and refraining from making public comments on the case.
Kumar’s lawyer, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued that the injuries to Maliwal were minor and that the charge of attempting culpable homicide was not justified. ASG Raju countered that bail should be delayed until private witnesses are examined.
Kumar had previously had his bail plea denied by the Delhi High Court, which cited concerns about potential witness tampering. An FIR was filed against him on May 16, accusing him of criminal intimidation and assault related to the incident on May 13 at the Chief Minister’s residence.
