New Delhi. The Delhi High Court on Monday admitted the petition of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s close aide Bibhav Kumar challenging his arrest in connection with the alleged attack on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal at the Chief Minister’s residence. The court has also sought a response from the Delhi Police on the petition. Justice Swarn Kanta Sharma issued a notice in the case, who had reserved the order on the maintainability of Kumar’s petition on May 31.
Detailed details of the order are awaited.
Kumar, who is currently in judicial custody, is accused of assaulting Maliwal at Kejriwal’s official residence on May 13. Kumar was arrested on May 18. The senior lawyer appearing for the police opposed the issuance of notice on the petition challenging the arrest on the ground that it is not maintainable. Kumar has requested in the petition to direct that his arrest be declared illegal.
He has claimed that he was arrested with an “ulterior motive” while his anticipatory bail plea was pending in the lower court. Kumar has termed it a violation of his fundamental rights as well as the law. Meanwhile, another bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta on Monday granted time to Maliwal’s lawyer to file a reply on Kumar’s bail plea and listed the matter for hearing on July 8.