Swatantra Bhardwaj granted interim bail in alleged assault case
Influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj just got three weeks of interim bail from a Delhi court after spending time in custody for allegedly assaulting the father of a Dalit student activist during a protest at Jantar Mantar.
The incident happened back in June at a Cockroach Janta Party protest.
Bhardwaj's lawyer says the arrest was politically motivated and told the court that a video purportedly showed the complainant starting the fight.
Bhardwaj faces SC/ST and POCSO charges
Bhardwaj was initially booked under Sections 115(2) and 126(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to causing simple hurt and wrongful restraint, but later, more serious allegations under SC/ST and POCSO acts were added.
After claims of casteist slurs came up, the SC/ST provisions were added.
The complainant's lawyer pushed back against bail, pointing to Bhardwaj's supposed admission, but police noted those slurs weren't mentioned in the original complaint.
Plus, Bhardwaj tried challenging his detention in court but didn't succeed: his claims of political reasons didn't hold up.