A Delhi court on Monday remanded Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the alleged assault on the father of a student activist during a Jantar Mantar demonstration, alongside other related charges, as per a report by The New Indian Express.
Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler extended Bhardwaj’s judicial custody until September 21 following the expiration of his initial remand.
Viral interview claims spark mass outrage
The police action follows widespread public outrage after a video surfaced online in which Bhardwaj purportedly bragged about the violence. In the interview, Bhardwaj claimed he had “cracked the skull” of Sanjay Kumar, the father of teenage student activist Nishu Azad, during a protest on June 23.
“I cracked the skull… Do you know which section this crime attracts? Section 307. He needed 60 stitches,” Bhardwaj was seen claiming in the video, while further asserting he evaded immediate arrest due to his political connections.
Following the assault on Sanjay Kumar during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led demonstration, authorities updated the original FIR to include provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and charges of criminal intimidation.
Bhardwaj was detained in Bulandshahr on Friday, September 4, hours after CJP members staged a high-voltage demonstration outside the Parliament Street police station demanding his immediate arrest.
Following his detention, Bhardwaj was produced at the residence of Judge Laler on Saturday, where the court granted Delhi Police a one-day custodial interrogation. On Sunday, he was remanded to a single day of judicial custody before Monday’s extension.
Meanwhile, tense scenes unfolded outside the Parliament Street police station on Saturday, September 5, as supporters of Bhardwaj gathered to stage counter-protests against his detention.
What Lies Ahead
With Bhardwaj now ordered to remain in judicial custody through September 21, Delhi Police are expected to complete key investigation procedures, including forensic analysis of the viral video clip and recording formal witness statements under the SC/ST Act provisions.
