Jantar Mantar assault: Accused Swatantra Bhardwaj sent to 1-day police custody by Delhi court

A Delhi court on Saturday sent right-wing influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj to police custody for a day for alleged assault on the father of a Dalit student-activist during the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protests at Jantar Mantar in July.

The order sending Bhardwaj to police custody was passed by Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler, Hindustan Times reported.

Bhardwaj was arrested from Uttar Pradesh yesterday. He has been booked for offence of assault and provisions under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act [SC/ST Act] and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act).

Bhardwaj was initially booked only for the offences under Sections 115(2) (causing simple hurt) and 126(2) (wrongful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

He later took to social media and claimed that had cracked the skull of the girl's father and was detained by the police only for a few hours. He also claimed proximity to NDA leaders Kapil Mishra and Chirag Paswan.

Paswan denied the same and also lodged a separate complaint against Bhardwaj for misusing his name.

Meanwhile, after Cockroach Janta Party leaders along with the girl and her father protested at the Parliament Street police station, more serious charges were added.