Delhi Police detain influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj over Jantar Mantar assault claim

Delhi Police detained self-styled influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj on Friday evening in connection with an alleged attack on the father of a protester during a June demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Bhardwaj, a right-wing activist, was picked up after leaving his residence on a motorcycle, according to sources.

The detention followed a protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), whose members marched from Patel Chowk to the Parliament Street Police Station demanding Bhardwaj's arrest. The CJP had earlier called for action after Bhardwaj publicly claimed responsibility for the assault, stating he avoided arrest due to a politician's intervention.

In his claim, Bhardwaj said the victim, Sanjay Kumar, 38, of Ghaziabad, sustained a head injury requiring 60 stitches and was near death. He also asserted that a case under Section 307 (attempted murder) of the Indian Penal Code should have been registered against him.

An FIR had already been filed in the assault case, but CJP leaders said the initial charges were minor. Following hours of negotiation with police on Friday, provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were added to the FIR, as the victim's family is Dalit.

CJP spokesperson Saurav Das told reporters outside the police station that the attack was an "attempt to murder" and that the relevant sections should be included. He described the incident as a violent intrusion by a criminal gang during a peaceful sit-in, noting that the victim's daughter, a minor, has been associated with the protest from its beginning.