Swatantra Bhardwaj Gets 3-Week Interim Bail in Jantar Mantar Assault Case

A Delhi court on Tuesday granted three weeks of interim bail to social media influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj in connection with the alleged physical assault of the father of a Dalit student-activist during a demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Bhardwaj was arrested by law enforcement officials in Uttar Pradesh on September 5 and had been held in judicial custody prior to the court's decision.

The assault allegedly occurred in June during a protest organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Following the incident, the Delhi Police initially registered a case against Bhardwaj under Sections 115(2) and 126(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which relate to causing simple hurt and wrongful restraint. Swatantra Bhardwaj Detained: Fresh FIR Filed Against Social Media Influencer Under POCSO Act.

During the court proceedings, counsel representing Bhardwaj argued that his arrest was politically motivated. Defence advocate Umesh Sharma presented video footage to the court, claiming it demonstrated that the complainant had attacked Bhardwaj first during the scuffle, causing him to fall. Defence counsel further noted that Bhardwaj had previously cooperated with police inquiries in late June before his eventual arrest in September.

In opposition to the interim relief, advocate Swati Khanna, representing the complainant, told the court that Bhardwaj had used casteist slurs during the confrontation and cited a separate video in which the accused purportedly admitted to carrying out the attack. CJP Protest Assault Case: Court Reserves Order on Swatantra Bhardwaj's Regular Bail Plea in Assault Case.

The legal proceedings have expanded significantly since the initial complaint. Police subsequently added provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after a secondary statement was submitted. Additionally, charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act were registered against the accused. Prior to the interim bail order, Bhardwaj's legal team had filed a habeas corpus petition in the Delhi High Court challenging the validity of his arrest, which was dismissed.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 15, 2026 04:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).