New Delhi: Delhi Police on Friday detained right-wing influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj in Uttar Pradesh in connection with the alleged assault on the father of student activist Nishu Azad during a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar in July.
The detention followed mounting pressure from CJP representatives, who had demanded action against Bhardwaj and said police had assured them that he would be arrested within 72 hours.
CJP co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, along with supporters, MP Chandrashekhar Azad, independent MP Pappu Yadav, who is aligned with the Congress, and Youth Congress activists gathered at Parliament Street police station seeking action against Bhardwaj.
VIDEO | Delhi: CJP protester Nishu Azad's counsel Rishav Ranjan says, "Today, there was a delegation meeting with the Additional DCP regarding the admission made by Swatantra Bhardwaj on the podcast video. The delegation included the AICC's Law Department, Ayesha Khan and… pic.twitter.com/it0dMEjG7o
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The case gained wider attention after a clip from a podcast featuring Bhardwaj went viral. In the video, Bhardwaj, who describes himself as a “kattar Hindu”, allegedly claimed that he had “cracked the skull” of Nishu’s father, Sanjay Kumar, during the protest.
He also claimed that Kumar required 60 stitches and that the alleged offence attracted Section 307, while boasting that he had not been jailed despite the seriousness of the incident.
READ: CJP Protest: Delhi Police Assures Arrest of ‘Self-Styled Goon’ Swatantra Bhardwaj
“Do you know which section this crime attracts? Section 307. He needed 60 stitches. The man was being taken away in an ambulance in a 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,” Bhardwaj said in the clip.
The CJP, which organised the July protest, had accused Delhi Police of failing to take adequate action against Bhardwaj and repeatedly demanded his arrest.
Delhi Police on Thursday said 38-year-old Kumar suffered a head injury during a scuffle but rejected claims that his skull had been fractured.
The incident also triggered a political response, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi expressing support for Nishu Azad and sharing her appeal for help.
Gandhi alleged that Nishu and her family were targeted because of their Dalit identity and because she had been raising issues concerning her community and students.
“Nishu, do not panic. I’m with you,” Gandhi wrote.
He also accused Delhi Police of using “inhuman brutality” against students during the July 20 CJP march while the man accused of attacking Nishu’s father remained free.
Tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gandhi alleged that Bhardwaj had their “protection”.
“Nishu, your fight is not yours alone. We won’t stop until justice is served,” Gandhi added.
Bhardwaj’s detention marks a fresh development in the controversy surrounding the alleged assault, which has raised questions over the police response to the incident and the treatment of protesters during the CJP agitation.
