Self-styled Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj was granted regular bail by a Delhi court on Tuesday in connection with the alleged assault of the father of a student activist during a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar on June 23. Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler passed the order after earlier granting Bhardwaj three weeks’ interim bail and observing his conduct during the period.
Bhardwaj was granted interim bail by the Patiala House Court on September 15, with strict conditions, including restrictions on making social media posts or giving interviews concerning the case. His conduct during the interim bail period was to be observed before his plea for regular bail was considered.
The court has imposed several conditions on Bhardwaj, including a direction not to post, publish or discuss the case, his defence or the complainant’s family on social media or any other media platform.
He was also directed not to directly or indirectly contact the complainant, his minor daughter, any member of his family or any prosecution witness, including by telephone or electronic means. He was further directed not to threaten, induce or influence any of them or interfere with the evidence in the case.
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While granting interim bail, the court had stressed that bail was an expression of the court’s trust and "not a trophy to be displayed".
The court had also cautioned Bhardwaj against any public celebration following his release on bail.
His arrest came after a clip from an interview went viral in which Bhardwaj is heard claiming that he had "cracked the skull" of student protester Nishu Azad's father, Sanjay Kumar, leaving him with an injury that required 60 stitches, while managing to avoid being jailed.
What's the case about?
Twenty-one-year-old self-styled ‘influencer’ Bhardwaj was arrested in connection with the alleged assault on Sanjay Azad, who belongs to the SC community, during the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar on June 23.
A clip from a podcast in which Bhardwaj describes himself as a "Kattar Hindu" (hardline Hindu) has gone viral on social media. In the video, he is heard admitting that he "cracked the skull" of Nishu Azad's father during the protest.
"...Do you know which section this crime attracts? Section 307. He needed 60 stitches. The man was being taken away in an ambulance in serious condition. His daughter was standing outside the police station and saying that she would die by suicide if her father didn't get justice. But I was not even jailed. The world should know this. I was out and about through the night," Bhardwaj was heard saying in the unverified video.
“I have the blessings of Hanuman. Secondly, Kapil Mishra is my elder brother. They say Kapil Mishra called, and I was released. Chirag Paswan is my elder brother. How many leaders do you know? Do you know Modi ji? Modi Ji is also my elder brother. I have everyone’s support," he added.
Following his remarks, the CJP, the Indian Youth Congress, and Lok Sabha MPs Chandra Shekhar and Rajesh Ranjan staged protests at the Parliament Street police station in New Delhi.