‘Hindutva influencer’ Swatantra Bhardwaj sent to 14-day judicial custody in CJP protester’s father assault case

Hindutva Influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj Sent to Custody

Theindiapostdaily.com – A Delhi Additional Sessions Court has ordered that Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj sent to 14-day judicial custody following his appearance before Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler on Monday. The ruling stems from a criminal complaint alleging that Bhardwaj physically assaulted the father of a young Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activist during a public demonstration at Jantar Mantar in July. The court directed that he be produced again on September 21.

Bhardwaj, a self-described hardline Hindu social-media commentator, was taken into police custody in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, just hours after CJP members staged a protest outside the Parliament Street police station in New Delhi demanding his formal arrest over the alleged beating. The custody order represents a significant procedural escalation in a case that has attracted sustained public attention among CJP supporters and allied political groups.

The Alleged Assault and the Podcast Controversy

The complaint names Sanjay Azad, father of Nishu Azad — a minor who has become a visible face of the CJP movement — as the victim. Police initially described the injuries as “simple,” attributing them to a steel bracelet worn by Bhardwaj. That characterization was sharply contradicted when Bhardwaj later appeared on a podcast and described the episode in markedly different terms, claiming he had acted in self-defence.

“I cracked the skull of Nishu’s father. 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.”

The clip ignited widespread online debate. Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code pertains to attempt to murder — a far graver allegation than a simple assault. The gap between police’s initial “simple injury” language and Bhardwaj’s own account of 60 stitches and an ambulance transfer became the central flashpoint in public discourse, intensifying pressure on authorities to escalate the charges.

Charges Expanded: SC/ST Act, Intimidation, and POCSO Provisions

Following sustained advocacy by CJP representatives and allied political figures, police added provisions from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and criminal intimidation to the first information report filed against Bhardwaj. The SC/ST Act inclusion signals that the complainant’s family belongs to a scheduled community, carrying specific statutory protections and heavier penalties. In a parallel development on Friday, police registered a separate FIR under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after the minor activist herself alleged rape threats, verbal abuse, and digitally morphed images following her public complaint.

Authorities also reportedly invoked Sections 351(3), 78 (stalking), and 79 (insulting the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the new criminal code that replaced the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. The layered statutory framework applied to the online-harassment complaint underscores a growing tendency among police to invoke multiple digital-era provisions in cases involving threats directed at young women through social-media platforms.

Political Pressure and the Road Ahead

The procedural escalations followed a meeting in which a delegation of CJP representatives, accompanied by Chandrashekhar Azad — chief of the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) and Member of Parliament — pressed police officials for stronger action. With the judicial-custody period now underway and multiple statutory provisions stacked against Bhardwaj, the coming weeks will determine whether the case proceeds toward trial on the expanded charges or faces further procedural challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly did the court order? The Additional Sessions Court directed that Bhardwaj be held in judicial custody for 14 days, with a return date of September 21. This follows the conclusion of his initial one-day police custody period.

Why were SC/ST Act provisions added to the FIR? The addition indicates that the complainant’s family belongs to a scheduled community. Under the SC/ST Act, offences against scheduled-caste or scheduled-tribe members carry enhanced penalties and procedural safeguards, making the case more serious than a standard assault complaint.

What is the POCSO FIR about? It is a separate complaint filed by the minor activist alleging rape threats, verbal abuse, and digitally altered images she received after speaking publicly against the assault on her father. Police invoked POCSO sections alongside BNS stalking and modesty-insult provisions and Section 67 of the IT Act.

Where was Bhardwaj taken into custody? He was taken into police custody in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, shortly after CJP members protested outside the Parliament Street police station in New Delhi demanding his arrest.