Who is Bibhav Kumar, Kejriwal’s aide at the centre of Swati Maliwal row

Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal accused him of physical assault, verbal abuse, criminal intimidation and molestation at the AAP chief's official residence earlier this week. Who is he?

Bibhav, who used to work at Sisodia's NGO Kabir, much before the IAC (India Against Corruption) movement, became a coordinator between it and Arvind Kejriwal’s NGO Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF) where Maliwal worked. (Express file photo)

In the eye of the latest storm to hit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar is the subject of headlines after the party’s sole woman Member of Parliament (MP) – Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal – accused him of physical assault, verbal abuse, criminal intimidation and molestation at the AAP chief’s official residence earlier this week. Who is he?

Employee to aide, confidante to man Friday older than the AAP itself:

Kumar, considered the “bridge” to Kejriwal in addition to being his eyes and ears, according to party insiders, has been a man Friday to the Aam Aadmi Party convenor since before the AAP came into existence. According to AAP insiders, Kumar handles everything from insulin doses for the Delhi CM, who is a heavy diabetic, to his personal phone.

Where did Kejriwal come in contact with him?

Kumar was an employee at Kabir, an NGO run by Kejriwal’s closest aide and deputy, Manish Sisodia, before being associated with Kejriwal. Over time, he was chosen by Kejriwal as his Personal Secretary; this was well before the AAP was formed in October, 2012 by which time he had, according to insiders, become more or less the AAP chief’s “shadow”.

What does Bibhav actually do?

Known and seen as Kejriwal’s manager – both personal and political – from handling communication for both him and Sisodia in the beginning, to being chosen by Kejriwal to look after the expansion of the party, Kumar was soon given charge of matters ranging from his household, looking after the Chief Minister’s Office at the Secretariat and his camp office at his residence; Kumar’s role over the years has only grown closer and closer to Kejriwal and stronger as a “manager” par excellence.

Also read | ‘Slapped 7-8 times, kicked on chest and pelvis area’: Swati Maliwal in FIR against Kejriwal aide Bibhav Kumar

Does Bibhav know Swati Maliwal?

Bibhav, who used to work at Sisodia’s NGO Kabir, much before the IAC (India Against Corruption) movement, became a coordinator between it and Arvind Kejriwal’s NGO Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF) where Maliwal worked. According to AAP insiders, Kumar and Maliwal have known each other for around two decade and also collaborated on “several joint projects” related to various civil society causes.

Is this the first time that Bibhav has been at the core of a controversy?

This is not the first time that he has been in the eye of a storm. He was among individuals associated with the AAP to be questioned in the excise policy case by the Enforcement Directorate. First engaged on the post in the year 2015 after the AAP stormed to power in the Delhi Assembly with 66 out of 70 seats, Kumar was sacked as Kejriwal’s official private secretary in April.

Jatin Anand

Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with the national political bureau of The Indian Express. Over the last 16 years, he has covered governance, politics, bureaucracy, crime, traffic, intelligence, the Election Commission of India and Urban Development among other beats. He is an English (Literature) graduate from Zakir Husain Delhi College, DU & specialised in Print at the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. He tweets @jatinpaul ... Read More

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