No relief for ‘influencer’ Swatantra Bhardwaj, sent to 14-day judicial custody in Jantar Mantar case

A Delhi court has sent self-styled right-wing influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj to 14 days of judicial custody in an assault case linked to a protest at Jantar Mantar.

Bhardwaj appeared by video conference on Monday before Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Laler of Patiala House court. The order followed one-day judicial custody on Sunday and an earlier decision allowing Delhi Police to question him in custody for a day.

Police arrested Bhardwaj in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr on Friday. The arrest came after the Cockroach Janta Party held a protest outside the Parliament Street police station, demanding action over the alleged assault.

The case concerns an alleged attack on Sanjay Kumar, the father of a teenage student activist, during a CJP-led protest in June. On the day of the arrest, police added provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and criminal intimidation to the first information report.

The police action followed outrage over a video podcast in which Bhardwaj allegedly said he had “cracked the skull” of the minor activist’s father. He later said he acted in self-defence. Police had earlier described Kumar’s injuries as simple in nature. Bhardwaj also faces a separate case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

“

cracked the skull