Swatantra Bhardwaj granted bail by Delhi court in assault case
India
Swatantra Bhardwaj, accused of assaulting the father of a Dalit student-activist during a Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar, has been granted regular bail by a Delhi court.
He had been in custody since September 5 and was given interim bail on September 15.
Lawyers present conflicting video claims
Bhardwaj's lawyer says the arrest under the SC/ST Act is politically motivated, pointing to a video where the complainant allegedly attacks Bhardwaj.
Meanwhile, complainant's counsel said Bhardwaj apparently acknowledged in a video that he was responsible for attacking the complainant and alleged that he used casteist slurs.
Delhi Police noted that initial complaints did not mention any casteist remarks. Those came up later.