The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday said the Delhi Police seized the DVR of CCTV cameras installed inside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence in connection with its probe into the alleged assault on Swati Maliwal.
The party also accused the cops of planting stories to tarnish the party's image ahead of the elections, according to news agency PTI.
There was no immediate reaction from the Delhi Police.
Notably, the AAP Rajya Sabha MP, in her complaint, has said that Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar slapped her seven–eight times and repeatedly kicked her in her chest and stomach when she went to the Chief Minister's residence on May 13.
Maliwal further claimed that the brutal assault by Kumar did not stop even after she mentioned that she was on her periods. After the assault, she claimed her arms were sore and she had difficulty walking.
AAP has rubbished her allegations and claimed that Maliwal is acting at the behest of the BJP to frame Kejriwal. On Saturday, Kumar was arrested by the Delhi Police and a local court sent him to five-day custody.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said the police have already seized the DVR (digital video recorder) of CCTV cameras.
"Yesterday (Saturday), they seized the DVR of cameras installed at the entry gates, boundary walls and today (Sunday), they seized the DVR of cameras installed in other parts of the house. The police are planting stories that the CCTV (camera) footage has been deleted but they have already seized it," he claimed, as per news agency PTI.
Bharadwaj said the CCTV cameras and the footage captured are maintained by the Public Works department and are in its custody.
He also raised questions over the sequence of events in the case.
"The call was made by Swati Maliwal on May 13 and, within no time, the image of the daily diary entry in the matter was all over the media. The FIR in the case has been registered under Section 354 (B), which is a sensitive matter that pertains to a woman, but the FIR was circulated everywhere. However, Bibhav Kumar, the accused, and AAP did not have a copy of the FIR," he added.
The Delhi Police has booked Kumar for molestation and attempted culpable homicide after Maliwal's complaint.
Kumar has also filed a counter-complaint with the Civil Lines police station, alleging that Maliwal had "forcefully and unauthorisedly" entered the Chief Minister's residence.
