Delhi Police on Friday detained a 21-year-old right-wing content creator accused of severely injuring a 38-year-old man during the Jantar Mantar protests in June, officers said, hours after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and other politicians staged a massive protest at the Parliament Street police station.
The accused, identified as Swatantra Bhardwaj, 21, and others allegedly attacked a man named Sanjay Azad, 38, who had accompanied his 14-year-old daughter to the protest on June 23.
Azad, a Dalit person, suffered severe injuries to his head but an FIR was lodged the same day at Parliament Street police station only under BNS sections 115(2) (causing simple hurt) and 126(2) (wrongful restraint). Bhardwaj was briefly detained the same day but was released hours later, and later claimed on social media that he was friends with top politicians — he mentioned the names of Union minister Chirag Paswan and Delhi minister Kapil Mishra — of the ruling establishment.
“Finally, Delhi Police have registered an FIR against the Sanghi goon and said he will be arrested within 72 hours. It took two months and a protest just to get an FIR registered for a hate crime that happened right in front of the police!” CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said in a post on X.
Sections added after CJP protest
{{/usCountry}}Sections added after CJP protest
{{/usCountry}}After the protest, police also added sections under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Union minister Paswan distanced himself from Bhardwaj.
Another FIR has been lodged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and sections of the BNS, police said after a complaint was filed regarding the minor receiving rape threats from Bhardwaj.
While Delhi Police and Bulandshahr police refused to give details about the detention, investigating officials, who spoke to HT and did not wish to be named, said a team was sent to Bulandshahr late on Friday afternoon. Bhardwaj was held after his phone location was traced, said a police officer. Police are yet to obtain his transit remand as of late Friday evening.
Delhi minister Mishra did not issue a statement on Bhardwaj’s claims.
Creator's admission on video, then a ‘factcheck’ by DCP
The controversy began on Wednesday when Bhardwaj went on a video podcast and admitted to attacking Azad. “I cracked the skull of...(the) father. It should be a case of attempted murder. He had seven stitches on his head. He was lying half dead and was being carried in an ambulance while his daughter was standing outside the police station demanding justice and threatening to commit suicide…I did not even go to jail. I was roaming at night. People say Kapil Mishra saved me… Mishra is like my elder brother, so is Chirag Paswan…and even Narendra Modiji...I have danda and shoes of Delhi Police. Nobody can do anything. If Nishu’s father is my enemy, I will kill him...”
The statement went viral after which the minor uploaded a video on X on Thursday. “I had got an FIR done when all this happened. Now, he himself is claiming what he did...I have been fighting for a month and a half...,” she posted. Soon after this, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, CJP spokespersons Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad offered solidarity and questioned Delhi Police.
Also Read: Influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj backtracks on ‘cracking skull’ remark, calls it ‘self defence’
In response, DCP (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma posted a so-called factcheck that immediately courted controversy.
“On June 23, Sanjay suffered a head injury by a “kada” worn by one of the alleged accused during a scuffle. He was medically examined by doctors of RML Hospital and injuries were opined to be simple in nature. The injuries were not by any weapon…A case was lodged…They (accused) were detained from the site and during investigation, Suraj Kumar, 24 and Swatantra Bhardwaj, 21, were served notices as per law…Any allegation of undue influence or interference in the matter is…baseless,” the post said.
Soon after the post, CJP and Bhim Army announced a protest on Thursday night.
On Thursday, Das and CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka arrived at the police station while the minor and her father came with Chandrashekhar Azad. Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress President Akshay Lakra was also present.
“(The girl)...was with us since day 1 of the protest. During our protest, some members of criminal gangs entered our protest and did violence. They cracked Sanjay’s skull using a kada...Why are such criminals roaming freely in Delhi?” Das said.
‘Seven stitches to head, daughter threatened’
Sanjay Azad said Bhardwaj and others attacked him. “I suffered seven stitches on my head but the police did not even give me MLC. They refused to help me. A person rushed me to the hospital. My daughter, who has been fighting for me, was threatened by Bhardwaj and his men. They sent her rape threats and made videos of her. We just want an FIR. They have tried to kill me, spoken about our caste and threatened my minor daughter,” he said.
The protest began at 10am and ended at around 2am after CJP representatives said that police assured them that Bhardwaj would be arrested within 72 hours.
Bhardwaj was detained at around 3.30pm, officers said.
“They also demanded that sections of attempted murder be added. For that we need an MLC stating injuries from a sharp weapon. We will take another medical examination of the father and then add sections. We have also taken the minor’s complaint in which she has alleged she got rape threats,” said a police officer.
Bhardwaj defended himself. “I only attacked him in self defence…or else I would have been mob lynched. I was with six friends and we went there to protest against CJP,” he told reporters on Thursday.
Union minister Paswan said he has filed a complaint against Bhardwaj. “This incident is extremely serious. The way a person is openly admitting that he beat someone so severely that it could possibly have led to their death. To openly admit this on a podcast and even after that, if no action is taken against him, then I believe this will set a very wrong example...Understanding the seriousness of this matter, and because that person has misused my name along with the names of several politicians, I have also filed an official complaint against that person...I have urged Delhi Police that there should be a fair investigation into this matter,” he said.
According to FIR, Sanjay had accompanied his daughter when Bhardwaj and two-three others asked him that “why are you making a video” following which a fight broke out. Sanjay alleged in the FIR that the men attacked him. The FIR also mentions details of MLC — “lacerated wound over right frontal region, lacerated wound over left parietal region...pending observation over nature of injury.”