A Delhi court has granted a three-week interim bail to ‘right-wing influencer’ Swatantra Bhardwaj in the alleged assault of the father of a Cockroach Janta Party activist during Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest in July
Lawyers had claimed Swatantra Bhardwaj could be attacked in jail
The order was pronounced by Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler. Bharadwaj was granted interim relief on a bail bond of Rs. He later claimed that he had acted in self-defence. Consequently, the Duty MM will simply remand him to judicial custody. The actual hearing regarding the case will take place in the special designated court for SC/ST matters,” he added.
50,000 and a surety of like amount.
The Delhi Police had earlier said the injuries suffered by the student activist’s father were “simple in nature”. After Swatantra Bhardwaj was arrested, his lawyers had claimed that the ‘right-wing influencer’ faces the risk of being attacked in jail by “anti-national elements”.
The influencer was detained in Bulandshahr earlier this month, hours after the CJP held a protest outside the Parliament Street police station demanding his arrest over the alleged assault. “The matter is currently before the Duty Metropolitan Magistrate (MM), who lacks the authority to hear bail applications.
The 21-year-old was sent to 14 days of judicial custody last week. The case is registered under the SC/ST Act. The cops later added provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and criminal intimidation to the FIR against Bhardwaj in connection with the alleged assault. A separate case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has also been registered against him.
