Court sends independent Bhardwaj to 14 days judicial custody

A Delhi court on Monday remanded independent Bhardwaj, who claims to be the face of Hindutva, to 14 days in judicial custody.

A Delhi court on Monday sent right-wing activist Swatantra Bhardwaj, who claims to be the face of Hindutva, to 14 days of judicial custody. This case is related to the assault on the father of a Dalit student, Nishu Azad, during a student protest at Jantar Mantar in July.

According to a report by Bar and Bench, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler issued this order after Bhardwaj's appearance via video conferencing. Swatantra Bhardwaj was arrested on September 5 from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.

A case has been registered against him under relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, along with assault charges.

Initially, Bhardwaj was charged under Section 115(2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for causing simple injury and Section 126(2) for wrongful confinement. Later, Bhardwaj claimed on social media that he had fractured the student's father's skull and that the police had only detained him for a few hours. He also claimed to have close ties with BJP leader Kapil Mishra and Union Minister Chirag Paswan.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court also dismissed Bhardwaj's habeas corpus petition on Monday. Bhardwaj had challenged his arrest by the Delhi Police in connection with the assault on a student-activist's father during a protest by the Cockroach People's Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar in July. The bench of Justice Naveen Chawla and Justice Ravinder Dudeyja rejected the petition. Bhardwaj had claimed in court that his arrest was illegal and that he should be released from custody.

Bhardwaj has also filed a habeas corpus petition in the Delhi High Court, claiming his arrest was illegal and demanding immediate release.

Earlier this week, Bhardwaj admitted in a podcast that he had “fractured” the skull of the minor Dalit student's father. Despite this, no action was taken against him. Following his statement, there was a strong backlash, and on Friday, the Cockroach People's Party (CJP) and the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) protested outside the Parliament Street police station in Delhi. The protesters demanded that sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act be invoked against Bhardwaj.

For the past few weeks, Bhardwaj has been appearing on TV panels, interviews, and podcasts. However, a closer look at his social media accounts reveals that he has built this self-proclaimed identity over several years.

His social media content primarily revolves around Hindutva, AI-generated posters, and photos with BJP leaders. These include several leaders such as Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, Delhi government minister Kapil Mishra, and Lok Sabha MP Manoj Tiwari. In one photo, he is also seen with Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan.

Chirag Paswan, a Union Minister from the Dalit community, condemned Bhardwaj's actions on Friday, stating that the charges against him are very serious.

Chirag Paswan said,

The way a person openly admits to having beaten someone so badly that their life was at risk is a very serious matter. If no action is taken after this public admission on a podcast, I believe it sets a very wrong example for the country and society.”

Paswan further stated,

Understanding the seriousness of the matter and because that person has misused my name along with several leaders' names, I have filed a formal complaint against him. I have also urged the Delhi Police to conduct a fair investigation into this matter.”

Bhardwaj, who presents himself as a Hindutva supporter on various social media platforms, has approximately 1.87 lakh followers on Instagram and over 3.26 lakh on Facebook. Presenting himself as a “hardcore Hindu,” Bhardwaj is actually a 21-year-old student from Patna. He completed his schooling at Don Bosco Academy in Patna and enrolled in Delhi University in 2022. During CJP protests, he posted videos carrying wooden sticks, openly referring to himself as the “real goon.”

He also started an Instagram handle named ‘Economic Reservation Front’ for the demand of reservation on economic grounds and for the campaign to withdraw the University Grants Commission's ‘Equity Regulations, 2026’. The Supreme Court has currently stayed these regulations. This campaign has received support from ‘Sanatani’ and Hindutva individuals like Azad Vinod, Mohit, and Ankit Kumar, who expressed their support by posting selfies.

However, after the podcast was released, Swatantra Bhardwaj's bravado diminished. The arrow turned back on him.

In the video, he can be heard saying,

I fractured his father's skull. You know which section applies in such cases. Section 307, the half-murder section. He had seven stitches on his head. He was almost dying and was being taken in an ambulance. His daughter was standing outside the police station saying that if her father did not get justice, she would commit suicide by consuming poison.

In the viral podcast, Bhardwaj repeatedly flaunts his closeness to BJP leaders, seemingly trying to indicate why no action has been taken against him.

He says,

“Swatantra came out the very next day. I didn’t even go to jail. I was roaming around all night. The whole world should know this.”

He further states,

“Kapil Mishra is like my elder brother. These people, meaning the CJP folks, are saying that Kapil Mishra called and I was let go. Kapil Mishra is my elder brother, Chirag Paswan is my elder brother—all are my elder brothers. You tell me, which leader do you know? Do you know Modi ji? Modi ji is also my elder brother. Everyone supports me.”

When asked where the sticks used against CJP protesters came from, Bhardwaj points to his shoes and says, “This shoe belongs to the Delhi Police. We don’t fill out forms to join the Delhi Police; we join it ourselves.”

New Delhi's Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma confirmed that a complaint against Bhardwaj was received on July 23.

In addition to posting pictures with BJP leaders, Bhardwaj uploads content with cow protectors and shares AI-generated graphics in support of Israel.