Right-wing ‘influencer’ Swatantra Bhardwaj gets interim bail in Jantar Mantar assault case

A Delhi court has granted a three-week interim bail to ‘right-wing influencer’ Swatantra Bhardwaj in the alleged assault of the father of a Cockroach Janta Party activist during Delhi's Jantar Mantar protest in July

The order was pronounced by Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler. Bharadwaj was granted interim relief on a bail bond of Rs. 50,000 and a surety of like amount.

The case is registered under the SC/ST Act. The 21-year-old was sent to 14 days of judicial custody last week.

The influencer was detained in Bulandshahr earlier this month, hours after the CJP held a protest outside the Parliament Street police station demanding his arrest over the alleged assault.

The detention came amid outrage over an interview in which Bhardwaj claimed he had “cracked the skull” of the student activist’s father during the protest and escaped arrest because of his political connections.

He later claimed that he had acted in self-defence. The Delhi Police had earlier said the injuries suffered by the student activist's father were "simple in nature".

The cops later added provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and criminal intimidation to the FIR against Bhardwaj in connection with the alleged assault. A separate case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has also been registered against him.

Lawyers had claimed Swatantra Bhardwaj could be attacked in jail

After Swatantra Bhardwaj was arrested, his lawyers had claimed that the ‘right-wing influencer’ faces the risk of being attacked in jail by "anti-national elements".

A day after his arrest, Bhardwaj’s advocate, Piyush Jain, told news agency ANI that the police initially produced the accused via video conferencing to secure the one-day remand.

"Yesterday, the police produced Swatantra Bharadwaj via video conferencing and obtained one day of police custody," he said.

"The matter is currently before the Duty Metropolitan Magistrate (MM), who lacks the authority to hear bail applications. Consequently, the Duty MM will simply remand him to judicial custody. The actual hearing regarding the case will take place in the special designated court for SC/ST matters," he added.

Claiming that the content creator faces risks of being attacked in jail, Jain urged the Central government and Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta to ensure comprehensive security arrangements for Bhardwaj inside Tihar Jail.

"The most critical issue is the intent behind sending him to jail. We have received information suggesting that Swatantra Bharadwaj could be attacked while in jail; certain anti-national elements aim to attack him to send a message to the Government of India. Therefore, I urge the Government of India and Delhi CM Rekha Gupta to ensure that comprehensive security arrangements are made for him within Tihar Jail."