A Delhi court has ordered self-styled right-wing influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj to remain in judicial custody for 14 days. This decision follows an assault case brought against him by a 38-year-old man. The court’s ruling highlights the legal challenges facing Bhardwaj amid ongoing scrutiny of his actions.
He was produced through video-conference before Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Laler of Patiala House court on Monday. This comes a day after Bharadwaj was sent to one-day judicial custody in connection with the case on Sunday. Before that, on Saturday, Bhardwaj had been produced at the residence of Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler. Bharadwaj was held in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr on Friday after the CJP held a protest outside the Parliament Street police station demanding his arrest over the alleged assault.
The judge had allowed the Delhi Police’s plea seeking one-day custodial interrogation of the accused. On the same day, the Delhi Police added provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and criminal intimidation to the FIR against Bhardwaj in connection with the alleged assault on Sanjay Kumar, the father of a teenage student activist, during the CJP-led protest at Jantar Mantar in June.
Bharadwaj Faces Charges Under POCSO Act
Bharadwaj is currently involved in a legal case related to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. This case adds to the scrutiny surrounding him as authorities continue their investigations.
