Asha Devi, mother of Nirbhaya, the 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim, has made an impassioned appeal to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to back AAP MP Swati Maliwal, who has leveled accusations against Bibhav Kumar, a close confidant of Kejriwal, for assaulting her.
Maliwal recounted that on May 13, she was allegedly struck seven to eight times by Kumar at the Chief Minister’s residence.
In a conversation with news agency IANS, Asha Devi emphasized Maliwal’s dedication to women’s rights during her tenure as head of the Delhi Commission for Women, urging CM Kejriwal to take decisive action against the alleged perpetrator.
“Arvind Kejriwal must act decisively. He is the Chief Minister of Delhi and prides himself on being the protector and kin of the people of Delhi. Bearing this in mind, he should denounce the attack and take stringent measures against the accused, extending his support to Swati,” she articulated. “Swati has been aligned with Kejriwal for eight years, advocating for women’s welfare, and many women have benefited due to her efforts. I am personally aware of this. The CM must take action, and Swati Maliwal deserves justice,” she continued.
Maliwal shared the video on her social media platform X, stating, “Nirbhaya’s mother has waged a prolonged battle for justice in our nation. She stood by me even during my hunger strike to ensure child rapists faced punishment. Today, seeing her support me through this video stirred deep emotions within me. However, it is likely that some leaders will dismiss her as a BJP agent for supporting me!”
In her FIR, Maliwal asserted that she was “kicked on the chest, stomach, and pelvis area,” and menacingly warned that she would be killed.
The FIR details, “He (Kumar) leapt at me… viciously dragged and purposefully lifted my shirt… I struck my head on the center table… he kicked me on my chest, stomach, and pelvis area… I informed him of my menstruation, yet he relentlessly assaulted me with full force repeatedly.”
CM Kejriwal, who has mostly maintained silence on the matter, remarked on Wednesday that there are conflicting narratives of the event and that the Delhi Police should conduct an impartial investigation into both accounts.
