Trouble in aap: party blames bjp in swati maliwal case, kejriwal named in ed chargesheet

Taking almost a backseat to this disarray is that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, presently out on 21-day interim bail in the alleged liquor scam case, was _named as an accused_ in the

chargesheet filed yesterday by the Enforcement Directorate. The central agency has alleged that the AAP chief was in direct contact with a “hawala operator” citing “chats” between the two.

     The ED’s move came a day after Additional Solicitor General SV Raju told the Supreme Court that the AAP would also be made an accused in the case. Raju said that “evidence” shows that

Kejriwal – who was arrested in the case on March 21 – demanded a bribe of Rs 100 crore that funded the AAP’s Goa assembly polls campaign.  THE SWATI MALIWAL CASE Meanwhile, the media has

tried to make sense of what it’s crudely dubbed “assaultgate”. The charges here are serious. Earlier this week, Maliwal, formerly head of the Delhi Commission for Women, called the police

alleging an assault by Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar. She claimed it had taken place at Kejriwal’s home, while the CM was in residence, on May 13.  Yesterday, an FIR was lodged after she

submitted a formal complaint. According to _ANI_, Maliwal mentioned in the FIR that she “was slapped, hit on the stomach, and kicked”. Maliwal also _tweeted_ about giving her statement to

the police. “I hope that appropriate action will be taken. The last few days have been very difficult for me. I thank those who prayed for me. Those who tried to do character assassination,

who said I was doing it on the instructions of another party, may god keep them happy too.” She urged people to remember that an “important election is going on in the country”. A

medico-legal case report _indicates_ that Maliwal had bruises on her left leg and right cheek. But last evening, Atishi claimed Maliwal was acting under pressure from the BJP, purportedly

over a case lodged against her by the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Notably, in 2016, an ACB case was lodged against Maliwal for allegedly making illegal appointments in the DCW in favour of AAP.

The AAP’s tweet this morning seemingly showed Maliwal being escorted out of Kejriwal’s house on May 13. Maliwal has said she “received information” that the CCTV footage was “tampered”. In

an even further escalation, Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar filed a police complaint against Maliwal yesterday, accusing her of “forcefully and illegally” trespassing into Kejriwal’s home on

May 13. He _claimed_ Maliwal “threatened to implicate him in false cases”.  Delhi, meanwhile, goes to the polls on May 26. _Click here_ to check out our election coverage.