Swatantra Bharadwaj controversy: Here is what the Jantar Mantar assault case is about

Swatantra Bharadwaj, a 21-year-old from Patna, has emerged at the centre of a controversy following a podcast in which he spoke about the alleged assault of the father of a minor protester during a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demonstration at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20. The controversy led to protests demanding action against him and his detention by Delhi Police in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh.

Who is Swatantra Bharadwaj?

Bharadwaj is from Patna and studied at Don Bosco Academy before enrolling at Delhi University in 2022. He has built a substantial presence on social media through posts on Hindutva, politics, gender and reservation.

Bharadwaj has around 187,000 followers on Instagram and more than 326,000 on Facebook. His social media profiles also feature photographs with political leaders, including Delhi minister Kapil Mishra, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari and Union minister Chirag Paswan.

His social media activity has also included posts related to the CJP protests in Delhi.

What is the Jantar Mantar assault case?

The case relates to an alleged assault on Sanjay Kumar, the father of student activist Nishu Azad, during a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar.

Bharadwaj was among those detained and questioned by Delhi Police in connection with the incident. Police later said that Kumar had suffered a simple head injury and that the injury was caused by a steel bracelet, or kada. Police also said medical reports did not support claims of a skull fracture.

What did Bharadwaj say in the podcast?

The controversy intensified after a podcast clip circulated on social media in which Bharadwaj appeared to speak about the incident. He claimed that he had “cracked open” Kumar’s skull and also spoke about how he had avoided being jailed.

He also referred to political connections while discussing the incident. The claims prompted the CJP and Indian Youth Congress to demand action against him.

Bharadwaj later gave a different account of the incident. He said he had acted in self-defence and claimed that he had been surrounded by several people. He also disputed the version of his remarks circulating online.

What action was taken?

On Sep 4, CJP members and Indian Youth Congress workers protested outside the Parliament Street police station in Delhi, demanding action against Bharadwaj.

Delhi Police subsequently detained Bharadwaj in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. The detention came after police had assured protesters that action would be taken against him.

Delhi Police has also denied allegations that political influence prevented action in the case. The police said Bharadwaj and another accused, Suraj Kumar, had earlier been detained, questioned and served notices.

The provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were invoked in the case. A fresh case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was also registered against Bharadwaj.

The Jantar Mantar assault case and the subsequent complaints remain under police investigation.