Swati Maliwal

Swati Maliwal (born 15 October 1984) is a social activist and politician. She currently serves as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha representing Delhi. She participated in the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement led by social activist Anna Hazare and later, served as the chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) from 2015 to 2024.

Early and personal life

Maliwal was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh on 15 October 1984. Her father was an officer of the Indian Armed Forces and her mother was Sangita Maliwal. She later said that she faced sexual abuse at the hands of her father, leading to a troubled childhood. She went to Amity International School and received a bachelor's degree in Information Technology from the JSS Academy of Technical Education.

On 23 January 2012, she married Naveen Jaihind, whom she had met during the early days of the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare. Later, Naveen became a politician, representing the Aam Aadmi Party. The couple divorced in February 2020.

Social and political life

After her education, she joined a Non-governmental organization named " Parivartan" which was founded by Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia among others. She worked in grass-roots campaigns across India, as a part of the organization. In 2011, Maliwal was one of the committee that organized the India Against Corruption movement led by activist Anna Hazare, which later led to the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill.

She was appointed as the chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) in July 2015. She was one of the youngest to lead the women's commission. She advocated for the passage of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which allowed minors from the ages of 16–18 years, to be tried as adults in case of heinous crimes. During her tenure as the chairperson of DCW, she demanded greater accountability of Delhi police, which resulted in putting the commission in loggerheads with the police department.

In 2016, based on a petition by the commission, the Delhi High Court directed all police stations in Delhi to install CCTV cameras on their premises. In December 2016, based on the direction of the Delhi High Court on a petition by the DCW, a special task force on women safety was constituted in Delhi. In 2017, following the commission's request, Delhi police officers were asked to wear body cameras while on duty, to improve their accountability and reduce chances of misconduct.

In April 2018, she went on a 10-day hunger strike demanding several reforms including the passage of laws mandating death penalty for individuals who rape children, recruiting police under the United Nations standards and more accountability of the police. In 2019, she went on another hunger strike demanding expedited justice to rape survivors, correct utilization of Nirbhaya Fund and additional police resources to handle crimes against women. She organized multiple campaigns and protests, advocating for time-bound stringent punishment for rapists and women safety.

In 2019, she led a 13-day march, covering crime-prone areas of Delhi to raise awareness about gender-based violence among local communities and register grievances. In November 2020, the DCW under Malliwal was involved in rescuing girls from child traffickers in Jharkhand. During the 2023–2024 Manipur violence, Maliwal visited the state in July 2023 to gather details and sent her recommendations to the President of India.

During her tenure, the commission handled more than 1.7 lakh cases of domestic violence, rape and other crimes against women. During her tenure, over 50,000 ''Mahila Panchayat''s were organized which served as community meetings for dispute resolution. Crisis Intervention Centre (CIC) and Rape Crisis Cell (RCC) were established, which provided medical attention, legal support and counseling to rape survivors. During her tenure, the DCW also addressed child trafficking and acid attack cases, which led to a passage of new laws regulating the working of spas, rehabilitation and free treatment for acid attack victims, as well as the ban of the retail sale of acid.

In January 2024, she was elected as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha representing Delhi.

Allegation of assault

On 13 May 2024, Maliwal alleged that she was assaulted by Bibhav Kumar, the personal assistant to then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, at the Chief Minister's residence. Maliwal reported the incident to the Police Control Room, leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) by the Delhi Police on 16 May. The FIR included charges such as criminal intimidation, assault with intent to disrobe a woman, and an attempt to commit culpable homicide.

Maliwal's statement was formally recorded, and an investigation was initiated by the Delhi Police. On 18 May 2024, Kumar was arrested. Kumar, in his defense, claimed that Maliwal had unlawfully entered the Chief Minister's residence, causing a security breach and interfering with the duties of security personnel. However, the Delhi Police dismissed these claims as fabricated.

The Delhi Police alleged that a larger conspiracy was at play in the assault. They highlighted that Kumar had spent a considerable amount of time at the crime scene after the incident. Additionally, they noted that CCTV footage from the residence was selectively leaked to the media before being handed over to the police. This selective leak, the police argued, was an attempt to influence public opinion against Maliwal and the case. The police also stated that the Chief Minister Kejriwal was also present at the crime scene with Kumar immediately following the incident.

During the court proceedings, Kumar was represented by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who argued in his defense against the charges. The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, expressed shock over the incident, verbally referring to Kumar as a "goon" and disapproving of his conduct.

On 2 September 2024, Bibhav Kumar was granted bail. Following the bail order, Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Arvind Kejriwal, posted a tweet stating "Sukoon" (relief), which was criticized by Maliwal as a display of support for Kumar in the assault case.

The court imposed strict conditions on Kumar's bail. He was barred from being reinstated as the Personal Secretary to the Chief Minister or holding any political office associated with the Chief Minister's office. Additionally, Kumar was prohibited from entering the Chief Minister's residence until all witnesses in the case had been examined.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maliwal, Swati
Living people
1984 births
Place of birth missing (living people)
Indian women activists
Indian anti-corruption activists
Indian women's rights activists
People from Ghaziabad district, India
Aam Aadmi Party politicians from Delhi
Rajya Sabha members from Delhi