Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal has sharply criticised Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, over her social media post about Bibhav Kumar. Kumar, who was in judicial custody for allegedly assaulting Maliwal, was released from jail after the Supreme Court granted him bail on Tuesday. Kumar had been in custody for over 100 days.
Sunita Kejriwal shared a photo of former communication in charge of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Vijay Nair and Bibhav Kumar, a close associate of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, sitting together in a living room and wrote in Hindi, “Sukoon bhara din”.
Nair, who had been in jail for 22 months in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, was also granted bail on September 3 by the Supreme Court.
Kumar allegedly assaulted Maliwal on May 13 at Kejriwal’s official residence. He was arrested by the Delhi Police on May 18.
Maliwal read Sunita Kejriwal’s post as a message that those who commit violence against women would be protected and supported.
She criticised her for celebrating Kumar’s release on X, saying, “Relieved because the man who beat me and misbehaved with me in his house has been released on bail. This is a clear message to everyone: beat up women, then launch a dirty trolling campaign, completely ruin the victim, and hire an army of the country’s most expensive lawyers to save that man in court! How can we expect respect for our sisters and daughters from those who find solace in seeing such people? God is watching everything; justice will be done.”
Maliwal also shared an image from the Mahabharata on X showing Draupadi’s disrobing by Dushasana, with Krishna coming to her aid to make her point. This image draws a parallel with her own situation.
A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against Kumar on May 16. The charges included multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code. Kumar was accused of criminal intimidation, assault or use of criminal force on a woman with intent to disrobe, and attempt to commit culpable homicide.
Maliwal had alleged that Kumar slapped her 7-8 times without any provocation, pounced on her, kicked her chest and pelvis, and deliberately pulled up her shirt at Kejriwal’s residence when she had gone to meet the Delhi chief minister on May 13.
