In a significant legal development, a Delhi court has placed Swatantra Bhardwaj, a prominent right-wing influencer, in judicial custody for one day. This decision is connected to allegations of assault involving the father of a Dalit student-activist during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar in July.
The ruling was issued by Duty Magistrate Anjali Singh at the Patiala House Court. The legal proceedings involved a virtual conference where Bhardwaj was presented from the magistrate’s residence. The police had initially petitioned for a 14-day judicial custody, but given the nature of the session with the Duty Magistrate, Bhardwaj was placed in custody for a single day. A further request for extended custody is slated for review by the relevant court on the following Monday.
Swatantra Bhardwaj was apprehended in Uttar Pradesh on the preceding day. He faces charges of assault, along with accusations under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act [SC/ST Act] and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act). Initially, Bhardwaj was charged with violations under Sections 115(2) (causing simple hurt) and 126(2) (wrongful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Notably, Bhardwaj made claims on social media asserting that he had inflicted serious injuries on the girl’s father, stating that his detention by law enforcement was brief. He also mentioned associations with NDA leaders Kapil Mishra and Chirag Paswan. However, Chirag Paswan refuted these claims and subsequently filed a separate complaint against Bhardwaj for the alleged misuse of his name.
In response to the incident, leaders from the Cockroach Janta Party, alongside the student-activist and her father, staged a protest at the Parliament Street police station. This escalated the legal situation, leading to the imposition of more severe charges against Bhardwaj.
