Right-Wing Influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj Sent to Judicial Custody in Delhi

A Delhi court on Sunday sent right-wing influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj to one-day judicial custody in connection with an assault case registered under the SC/ST Act. Bhardwaj was produced before Duty Magistrate Anjali Singh of the Patiala House Court through video conference.

He was previously remanded to one-day police custody by a Delhi court on Saturday after his arrest. Delhi Police arrested Bhardwaj for allegedly severely injuring a 38-year-old man, accompanied by his 14-year-old daughter, during a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar in June. A separate case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has also been registered.

Bhardwaj's advocate, Piyush Jain, claimed the 21-year-old faces attack in jail by anti-national elements and asserted all allegations are completely fabricated. Bhardwaj was detained in Bulandshahr on Friday after a CJP protest demanding his arrest. This followed an interview where Bhardwaj claimed he cracked the skull of the student activist's father during the June 23 protest, stating, "He needed 60 stitches."

Delhi Police had earlier described Kumar's injuries as simple, caused by a steel bracelet. The minor girl shared videos on X, claiming unidentified people surrounded her house after the arrest.