New Delhi, Sept. 4 -- Delhi Police detained Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday. The action followed hours after Cockroach Janta Party activists staged a demonstration outside the Parliament Street police station, demanding his arrest for assaulting Sanjay Kumar-the father of student protester Nishu Azad. Bhardwaj had previously admitted to the attack and openly bragged about it during a media interview.
Police sources said teams traced Bhardwaj near Dhamra Nara village after following his movements. He had reportedly left Naithla village on a motorcycle during an earlier attempt to apprehend him. He was taken to Chola police station, where he was being questioned about the alleged assault, his statements in a viral podcast and his claims of political connections.
The case dates back to a CJP protest against alleged examination paper leaks at Jantar Mantar. According to the FIR, Kumar was recording the demonstration on his mobile phone when a disagreement over filming escalated. The complaint alleged that two-three other men then joined the confrontation and assaulted him.
Kumar alleged that he was punched on the head and hit with a hard object resembling an iron kada. He was taken to RML Hospital, where doctors recorded two lacerated wounds.
Delhi Police registered a case against Bhardwaj and Suraj Kumar under Sections 115(2), 126(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police have rejected subsequent claims that Kumar suffered a skull fracture, saying his medical examination described the injuries as simple and did not establish a fracture.
The case gained fresh attention after a podcast clip featuring Bhardwaj went viral. In the interview, Bhardwaj, who describes himself as a "kattar" (staunch) Hindu, claimed that he cracked the skull of Nishu's father and got away with it.
"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 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 interview.
Bhardwaj further claimed to have political connections, naming BJP leader Kapil Mishra and Union Minister Chirag Paswan.
"I have the blessings of Hanuman upon me. And secondly, Kapil Mishra is my elder brother. They say Kapil Mishra called and I was released. Chirag Paswan is my elder brother. How many leaders do you know? Do you know Modi ji? Modi ji is also my elder brother. I have everyone's support," he said.
Paswan has since approached the police, alleging that Bhardwaj misused his name.
The remarks triggered demands from the CJP and Opposition parties for immediate action. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned why Bhardwaj was not in jail and alleged that he was receiving political protection. Delhi Police has denied political interference and maintained that the case was being investigated according to legal procedure.
The detention came hours after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) staged a protest outside the Parliament Street police station, demanding immediate arrest of Bhardwaj and stronger action in the case.
CJP co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, along with party supporters, Congress representatives, Azad Samaj Party MP Chandrashekhar Azad and independent MP Pappu Yadav, joined the demonstration and met police officials.
The delegation sought invocation of an attempt-to-murder provision and provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, pointing out that Kumar belongs to a Scheduled Caste. Police subsequently added provisions of the SC/ST Act to the FIR.
Police are also seeking a further medical opinion before deciding whether the attempt-to-murder charge is warranted. The viral podcast recording will also be examined as part of the investigation.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke accused Delhi Police of shielding the accused and called for DCP Sachin Sharma's prosecution, alleging that Nishu Aazad had "begged" police to arrest those responsible for assaulting her father, but that they continued to remain free even two months after the incident.
Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said police had assured the delegation that Bhardwaj would be arrested within 72 hours. The assurance also covered action over alleged online threats against Nishu.
Bhardwaj has since denied deliberately attacking Kumar and offered a different account of the incident. He claimed he was surrounded by 10-12 people and acted to protect himself.
"I did not attack him deliberately. I was scared that I might be mob-lynched, so I acted in self-defence."
He claimed he had video evidence showing people cornering him and said he struck Kumar with his kada only after standing up in self-defence. He also disputed the severity of Kumar's injuries, citing the medical report.
Bhardwaj has called the viral podcast clip "fake" and denied receiving political protection. In another interview, however, he reportedly said that if faced with a similar situation again, he would use his kada once more.
Nishu has separately alleged that she faced verbal abuse and rape threats after pursuing the assault case and said the incident affected her ability to attend school.
"I was ashamed of even stepping out. For a few weeks I could not go to school. I feel everyone is judging me. I hope police will take action," she said.
She welcomed the police assurance of action, saying, "We believe they will take action and not keep delaying it as they were doing."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.