Delhi Court Places Hindutva Influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj in Judicial Custody Amid Assault Allegations

Swatantra Bhardwaj, a Hindutva influencer, has been ordered to remain in judicial custody for 14 days by a Delhi court due to allegations of assaulting a student activist's father during a protest. The case has drawn significant public attention, especially after Bhardwaj's controversial remarks about the incident. As the investigation unfolds, additional charges have been added, including provisions under the SCST Act and criminal intimidation. The situation escalated further with a new FIR filed under the POCSO Act concerning threats faced by the minor activist. This article delves into the details of the case and the ongoing developments.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 7, 2026, 16:45 IST

Judicial Custody for Swatantra Bhardwaj

New Delhi: A Delhi court has ordered Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj to remain in judicial custody for 14 days due to his alleged involvement in the assault of a student activist's father during a protest at Jantar Mantar, among other accusations.

Bhardwaj was apprehended in Bulandshahr on Friday, shortly after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) organized a demonstration outside the Parliament Street police station, demanding his arrest for the alleged attack.

This action was prompted by public outrage following an interview where Bhardwaj boasted about injuring the student activist's father during the protest on June 23, claiming he evaded arrest due to his political ties.

After his detention on Saturday, Bhardwaj appeared before Judge Laler, who granted the Delhi Police's request for a one-day custodial interrogation. Subsequently, he was placed in judicial custody for one day.

Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler has now extended Bhardwaj's custody until September 21.

A controversial video surfaced in which Bhardwaj allegedly stated that he had cracked the skull of the student activist's father.

In the interview, he remarked, "I cracked the skull... Do you know which section this crime attracts? Section 307. He required 60 stitches."

The FIR against Bhardwaj has been updated to include provisions of the SCST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and charges of criminal intimidation related to the alleged assault on Sanjay Kumar, the father of the teenage activist, during the CJP-led protest in June.

Initially, the Delhi Police reported that Sanjay Kumar's injuries were minor and resulted from a steel bracelet. Bhardwaj later claimed in a podcast that he acted in self-defense.

In a separate incident on Friday, police filed a new FIR under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act following a complaint from the minor activist, who alleged online threats and harassment.

The police also invoked BNS Sections 351(3), 78 (stalking), and 79 (insulting the modesty of a woman), along with Section 67 of the Information Technology Act.

The student activist previously reported receiving rape threats, verbal abuse, and morphed images after she spoke out against the alleged assault on her father and filed a police complaint.

These developments followed a meeting between CJP representatives, led by Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad, and police officials at the Parliament Street police station, where they demanded action against Bhardwaj.

The delegation also called for the inclusion of charges such as attempt-to-murder, criminal intimidation, and provisions of the SCST Act in the case, as well as a separate FIR regarding the alleged rape threats and online abuse directed at the minor activist.