This followed a controversial video in which Swatantra Bharadwaj allegedly stated that a call from Delhi minister Kapil Mishra enabled him to evade arrest, igniting a dispute.
The Delhi Police have detained Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bharadwaj in connection with the alleged assault of Sanjay Kumar, the father of student activist Nishu Aazad, during protests at Jantar Mantar on July 23, according to police officers quoted by PTI.
The development comes after a video purportedly featuring Bharadwaj circulated widely on social media. In the video, he allegedly claimed that he avoided arrest after assaulting Kumar because of a phone call from Delhi minister Kapil Mishra. The claim has triggered controversy.
Kumar was allegedly attacked during demonstrations against purported irregularities in competitive examinations. A recently circulated video purportedly shows Bharadwaj claiming that he had “cracked the skull” of Kumar but was not jailed.
Following the video’s circulation, members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protested outside the Parliament Street police station on Friday, demanding that an attempt-to-murder charge be added to the existing case.
CJP co-convenor Saurav Das, as quoted by PTI, said that an Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police had assured protesters that provisions related to attempted murder and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act would be added to the case.
“Goons like Swatantra Bharadwaj came to Jantar Mantar. Did Delhi Police not identify them?” Das was quoted by ANI as saying. He alleged that Bharadwaj had committed attempted murder and accused the Delhi Police of failing to take action.
Bharadwaj, however, has denied intentionally attacking Kumar and said that he acted in self-defence. He claimed that he was surrounded by 10–15 people and feared that he could be lynched or killed if he did not defend himself.
“There was no attempt to attack Kumar,” Bharadwaj said, according to ANI, adding that he had videos to support his version of events.
He further claimed that Kumar was struck on the head during the confrontation and said that a Delhi Police medical report indicated that Kumar had not suffered major injuries.
The allegations and counterclaims are now at the center of the police investigation. The exact circumstances of the confrontation, including the nature of Kumar’s injuries and the allegations surrounding Bharadwaj’s purported statements, remain subject to investigation.