A Delhi court on Tuesday has granted three weeks’ interim bail to right-wing influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj in a case related to the assault of the student activist Nishu’s father, Sanjay Kumar, during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protests at Jantar Mantar.
Bhardwaj was arrested by Delhi Police in September after he admitted to attacking Kumar at Jantar Mantar in July. He admitted the assault in a podcast.
“I cracked the skull… Do you know which section this crime attracts? Attempt to murder, Section 307. He needed 60 stitches,” Bhardwaj said in the podcast.
“The man was dying, being taken in an ambulance. His daughter was standing outside the police station and saying that, if her father didn’t get justice, she would consume poison and die… We didn’t even go to jail. The whole world should know this. We didn’t even go to jail,” he claimed.
Following the podcast, he was booked for offenses of assault and provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act [SC/ST Act]. Additionally, a separate FIR with provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) has also been registered against him.
After the arrest, his lawyer had said that Bhardwaj faces the risk of being attacked in jail by “anti-national elements.”
Following his arrest, Bhardwaj’s advocate, Piyush Jain, told ANI that the police produced him via video conferencing and obtained one day of police custody.
“Yesterday, the police produced Swatantra Bharadwaj via video conferencing and obtained one day of police custody,” he said.
“The matter is currently before the Duty Metropolitan Magistrate (MM), who lacks the authority to hear bail applications. Consequently, the Duty MM will simply remand him to judicial custody. The actual hearing regarding the case will take place in the special designated court for SC/ST matters,” he added.
“The most critical issue is the intent behind sending him to jail. We have received information suggesting that Swatantra Bharadwaj could be attacked while in jail; certain anti-national elements aim to attack him to send a message to the Government of India. Therefore, I urge the Government of India and Delhi CM Rekha Gupta to ensure that comprehensive security arrangements are made for him within Tihar Jail,” he said, claiming that Bharadwaj faces the risk of being attacked.
Bharadwaj was arrested after the Cockroach Janta Party (CPJ) marched to the local police station demanding an FIR against under sections such as attempt to murder and the SC/ST act.
