When Swati Maliwal made allegations against the world of the Father Republic

Swati Maliwal | Image: PTI

New Delhi: Delhi Police received two calls from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence alleging that Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal was attacked by Bibhav Kumar, considered a close confidante of Kejriwal. According to sources, Swati Maliwal, who was abroad for several weeks and was particularly absent during the prime minister’s implication in the excise policy case, visited Arvind Kejriwal’s residence to meet him. However, it is alleged that Bibhav Kumar, Kejriwal’s aide, stopped her from meeting the chief minister.

Sources familiar with the matter said two calls were received within 15 minutes regarding the alleged incident. At 9:15 am, Swati Maliwal made the first PCR call from the Prime Minister’s residence. A second call was made at 9:30 a.m. in which Swati complained of an attack, specifically naming Bibhav.
The second call was about Swati’s personal assistant allegedly assaulting her. Swati then made her way to the police station. When she was advised to get an MLC (Medico-Legal Case) report, she refused saying she would come back later.

However, this is not the first time that Swati has alleged an attack. She had previously accused her father of sexually abusing her.

“Was sexually abused by my father as a child”

“I was sexually abused by my father when I was a child. I was still very small back then. My father used to beat me and I would hide under the bed to save myself,” she said. “While I was hiding under the bed, I thought about how I can teach a lesson to such men who abuse women and children and how I can help women get their rights,” she said. Narrating her ordeal, Maliwal had said that her father grabbed her by her braid and threw her against the wall, which resulted in severe bleeding. “This happened until I was in fourth grade,” she remembers.

Who is Swati Maliwal?

Swati Maliwal, an engineering student, made an important decision at the age of 22 by leaving her job at HCL to volunteer in the slums and villages of India. This commitment led to her becoming one of the youngest participants in the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare in 2011.

She has been involved in various campaigns and movements concerned with women’s rights and welfare. She was the chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and was vocal on issues such as women’s safety, gender equality and empowerment. Maliwal has been involved in advocacy to combat crimes against women and promote legal reforms to combat gender-based violence in India.