Swati Maliwal assault case: Bibhav Kumar, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s shadow, he stays out…

NEW DELHI: Bibhav Kumar, whom Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal has accused of assaulting her at chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence at Civil Lines on May 13, is known to be the closest associate and Man Friday of the AAP supremo. Having been associated with Kejriwal for nearly two decades, Kumar is said to be Delhi CM’s bridge with the outside world.
He not only looks after various official work at Delhi Secretariat and CM’s camp office but is also said to be the only medium for party functionaries, media and other people to connect with Kejriwal. Be it a political meeting, public function or private event that Kejriwal attends, Bibhav is always there with him like a shadow.
Having received a master’s degree from Delhi University and a postgraduate diploma in journalism, the 43-year-old reportedly came in contact with Kejriwal during his stint at Kabir, an NGO run by former deputy CM and AAP’s founding member, Manish Sisodia. Soon, Bibhav started looking after Kejriwal’s work as his personal secretary.
Sources said it was around the same time that he also got acquainted with Maliwal, who was an adviser to Kejriwal at Public Cause ResearchFoundation, an NGO run by him. They added that Bibhav and Maliwal had jointly worked on a few projects.
In 2012, when Kejriwal launched the India Against Corruption movement, Bibhav was continuously by his side.
Though he has always been known to work behind the scenes, Bibhav came into prominence last year when Delhi govt’s directorate of vigilance asked PWD why he had been allotted a Type VI bungalow in violation of the rules. Within three months, PWD cancelled allotment of the house.
In Feb this year, Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at various locations, including premises associated with Bibhav, and in April, he was questioned by the investigating agency regarding the excise policy case. He was reportedly under scrutiny by ED in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to the excise policy and alleged irregularities in Delhi Jal Board.
In April, the directorate of vigilance terminated Bibhav Kumar’s services as the chief minister’s personal secretary. Though Bibhav contested the decision at Central Administrative Tribunal, he failed to get a stay. The directorate of vigilance had cited an old 2007 pending case against Bibhav in which he was accused of obstructing government work.