Swatantra Bhardwaj Detained: Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj, whose video has gone viral on the internet, claiming that he attacked student protester Nishu Azad's father, Sanjay Kumar, during the students' protest at Jantar Mantar, was detained on Friday in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh.
The arrest came following a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders' protest at the Parliament Street police station in New Delhi, demanding his immediate arrest. CJP leaders, including Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, reached Parliament Street Police Station to register a complaint against Bhardwaj.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) gathered at the Parliament Street police station to demand action against the Hindutva influencer and dispersed after being assured by police that he would be arrested within 72 hours.
CJP protester Nishu's counsel Rishav Ranjan said, "Today, there was a delegation meeting with the Additional DCP regarding the admission made by Swatantra Bhardwaj on the podcast video. The delegation included the AICC's Law Department, Ayesha Khan and myself. We demanded a few things. First, to add applicable charges, including Sections 109 and 1010, attempt to murder charges, along with criminal intimidation and SC/ST Act provisions, to which the Delhi Police agreed."
SC/ST Act To Be Invoked
Party representatives said they were informed by police that Bhardwaj, who boasted in an interview that he cracked the skull of a student protester's father and got away with it, would be booked under charges of attempted murder and criminal intimidation as well as under the SC/ST Act, while a separate FIR would be registered over online abuse and objectionable images targeting the assault victim's daughter.
"After the addition of the SC/ST Act, the victim will undergo another medical examination. Further investigation will be conducted to determine whether a charge under the attempt-to-murder section is required," a police source said.
The CJP protest came after a clip of an interview of Bhardwaj, who describes himself as a "kattar Hindu" (hardline Hindu) was widely shared on social media, in which he was seen admitting that he "cracked the skull" of student Nishu Azad's father during the Jantar Mantar 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.
CJP co-convener Saurav Das said Delhi Police must ensure that such goons do not go unpunished. "Goons like Swatantra Bharadwaj came to Jantar Mantar. Did Delhi Police not identify them? He committed an attempt to murder," Das said.
Chirag Paswan Files Complaint Against Bhardwaj
Union Minister Chirag Paswan, responding to Swatantra Bhardwaj mentioning his and Kapil Mishra’s names while discussing the Jantar Mantar protest incident on a podcast, said, "This incident is extremely serious. The way a person is openly admitting that he beat someone so severely that it could possibly have led to their death," Paswan said.
"To openly admit this on a podcast and even after that, if no action is taken against him, then I believe this will set a very wrong example before the country and the people," the Union Minister added.
Paswan said he filed a police complaint because his name was used by the accused. "Understanding the seriousness of this matter, and because that person has misused my name along with the names of several politicians, I have also filed an official complaint against that person. At the same time, I have urged the Delhi Police that there should be a fair investigation into this matter," he said.
(With PTI Inputs)