Controversy over Swati Maliwal’s allegations against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s aide – Bibhav Kumar – escalated sharply Friday afternoon after a police team, accompanied by forensic analysts, visited the Aam Aadmi Party leader’s residence, where the alleged assault took place.
In addition to collecting CCTV footage from the living room – where Ms Maliwal has claimed she was slapped seven times and kicked in the chest – the police are expected to record witness statements and speak to members of Arvind Kejriwal’s security staff, including those seen arguing with the AAP leader in blurry mobile phone footage of the stand-off that was leaked online this morning.
In the 52-second video Ms Maliwal, who is seen briefly, seems to be arguing with security staff inside Mr Kejriwal’s home. The guards are heard, repeatedly, asking Ms Maliwal to leave the building.
Ms Maliwal refuses to leave and warns the security officers she has called the police.
READ |Â Amid Swati Maliwal Row, New Video From Kejriwal’s Home Is Viral
In signs the relationship between the AAP and Ms Maliwal, who is a party MP, seems to have broken down, the party shared the video online with the terse message, “The truth of Swati Maliwal.”
Ms Maliwal had earlier slammed the party over the video.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she referred to a “political hitman” – a remark seen by many as aimed at Mr Kejriwal – and claimed the “hitman” had directed “his people” to share the video in question to build a narrative to “save himself (after) committing this crime”.
“Like every time… this political hitman has started efforts to save himself. By getting his people to tweet and play videos without any context, he thinks he can save himself (after) committing this crime,” she declared.
On Thursday, in her first public comment on this row, Ms Maliwal called for action against those who allegedly attacked her, and wrote on X, “The last few days have been very difficult…”
READ |Â “What Happened To Me Was Very Bad”: Swati Maliwal On Assault Row
She also hit out at critics who have suggested her actions and claims were being orchestrated by “the other party”; the comment has been seen as referring to the BJP, which has launched multiple severe criticism of Mr Kejriwal and the AAP ahead of the election in Delhi, accusing both of being “anti-women”.
