Delhi High Court reserves order on Bibhav Kumar’s plea against arrest

New Delhi, May 31

The Delhi High Court on Friday reserved its order on maintainability of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s close aide Bibhav Kumar’s petition challenging his arrest in connection with an alleged assault on AAP MP Swati Maliwal at the Chief Minister’s official residence here on May 13.

Sent to 14-day judicial custody

A Delhi trial court on Friday sent Bibhav Kumar to judicial custody for 14 days, saying the probe was at a nascent stage and completing it would require time.

“Order reserved on maintainability,” Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said after hearing the senior advocates representing Bibhav and the Delhi Police. Bibhav sought a direction to declare his arrest illegal and in gross violation of Section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure and against the mandate of the law. He has demanded “appropriate compensation” for his “illegal” arrest and initiation of departmental action against erring officials involved in his arrest.

Arrested on May 18, Bibhav was sent to police custody for five days the same day by a magisterial court, which concluded that his anticipatory bail plea had become infructuous after his arrest. On May 24, he was sent to four-day judicial custody.