Arvind Kejriwal's Aide Bibhav Kumar Granted Four-Day Judicial Custody

On Friday, a Delhi court approved the prosecution's request for four-day judicial custody for Bibhav Kumar, an aide to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in connection with the alleged Swati Maliwal assault case. Bibhav Kumar, who had been in police custody since May 18, was granted a five-day remand previously.

His attorney raised concerns regarding his arrest, citing guidelines outlined in the Arnesh Kumar case, wherein the Supreme Court emphasized that arrests should be exceptional, particularly for offenses carrying a punishment of less than seven years' imprisonment.

According to the Delhi Police, Bibhav Kumar was permitted to meet with his family members and legal counsel, complying with court directives. His lawyer argued that both judicial and police custody impinge upon Bibhav's liberty, questioning why a 14-day remand was not sought initially, given that only a four-day custody was being requested.

In response, the police asserted that the duration of custody is at the discretion of the investigating agency. Despite Bibhav being presented before the court, the police opted to forego further police custody and instead requested judicial custody during the proceedings at the Tis Hazari court.