CJP protest assault: 'Influencer' Swatantra Bharadwaj gets 3-week interim bail
What's the story
A Delhi court has granted three-week interim bail to right-wing influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj in connection with the alleged assault of a Dalit student-activist's father during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar. Bhardwaj was arrested on September 5 after he claimed in a video podcast that he had cracked the skull of a protester. He has since been in judicial custody. The court granted interim bail on a ₹50,000 bail bond and a surety of like amount.
Arrest details
Charges expanded to include SC/ST, POCSO provisions
Bhardwaj was initially booked under Sections 115(2) and 126(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which relate to causing simple hurt and wrongful restraint.
The charges were later expanded to include provisions of the SC/ST Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
His counsel had argued that Bhardwaj's arrest was politically motivated, alleging he had been attacked by the complainant during the protest.
Legal arguments
'Video shows complainant attacking me'
During court proceedings, advocate Umesh Sharma argued a video showed the complainant attacking Bhardwaj.
"Police ko wo video nazar nahi aa raha... Is video m clearly dikhai de raha hai ki complainant ne mujhpe attack kiya hai aur main gir gaya hu (The police are not able to see that video. It is clearly visible in this video that the complainant attacked me and I fell down)," Sharma said.
Bail opposition
Opposing plea, advocate alleges casteist slurs used
Advocate Swati Khanna, representing the complainant, opposed the bail plea alleging Bhardwaj used casteist slurs.
She also said he had admitted to attacking the complainant in a video.
The Delhi Police told the Court that when the complaint was first registered, there was no mention of any casteist slur used by Bhardwaj. Later, when the statement of the complainant was recorded again, he mentioned the use of casteist slur, after which the SC/ST Act was invoked.
Case developments
Bhardwaj claimed he 'cracked the skull' of the girl's father
Bhardwaj had claimed in an interview that he "cracked the skull" of the girl's father during the protest and escaped arrest due to political connections.
He claimed he has ties with NDA leaders Kapil Mishra and Chirag Paswan, although Paswan denied this claim and also lodged a separate complaint against Bhardwaj for misusing his name.
Bhardwaj had earlier moved a habeas corpus plea before the Delhi High Court against his arrest, which was dismissed.