Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj, arrested in connection with the alleged attack on the father of a minor activist during a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, was interrogated by the police for several hours during his custody. According to officials, during interrogation, different police teams showed him his viral videos and asked questions about the claims made in them. Bhardwaj was detained from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh on Friday. After this he was arrested and on Saturday a Delhi court sent him to one-day police custody.
According to the police, 22-year-old Swatantra Bhardwaj was asked more than 100 questions during his custody. Bhardwaj answered some questions, while he did not answer many questions. The investigation team also presented several viral videos of him during interrogation. The police questioned Bhardwaj regarding the statements and claims he made in these videos.
Sources say that during interrogation, Bhardwaj did not show any remorse for his actions. Police are now making his statements and the material available on social media a part of the investigation.
This entire matter came into limelight after a video podcast. In this, Bhardwaj had allegedly claimed that he had “broken the skull” of the father of a minor student activist during the protest at Jantar Mantar. However, he later claimed that he had done all this in self-defense.
Delhi Police had earlier said that the injuries sustained by the student activist's father were of minor nature. Now the police are trying to find out what actually happened during the incident by examining the viral video and other digital evidence.
In the FIR registered against Bhardwaj, Delhi Police has also added sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Act and charges of criminal intimidation. This action was taken a day before Bhardwaj's arrest.
Apart from this, a separate FIR has been registered under the POCSO Act on the complaint of the minor student activist. The student alleges that she faced online threats and harassment after she raised her voice against the alleged attack on her father.
Swatantra Bhardwaj was produced at the residence of Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Lalar on Saturday at around 2 pm. The lawyer appointed for legal aid appeared before the court through video conference. After the hearing, the court sent Bhardwaj to one-day police custody.
According to police officials, during the investigation, Bhardwaj's social media posts, viral videos and other digital materials are also being examined. Investigators are looking into connecting these materials to the case.
After the arrest of Bhardwaj, many of his supporters reached outside Sansad Marg police station on Saturday. Supporters demanded withdrawal of the case registered against him and a fair investigation.
At the same time, a delegation of Cockroach Janata Party along with Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad met police officials on Friday.
The delegation had sought to add sections of the SC/ST Act along with charges of attempt to murder and criminal intimidation in the FIR, demanding action against Bhardwaj.
Another development has come to light in this case. According to a senior police officer, Supreme Court advocate Amita Sachdeva has filed a complaint with the Delhi Police against the minor student activist. It has been alleged in the complaint that the student insulted Hindu deities through objectionable posts on social media.
The officer said that no FIR has been registered yet on the basis of this complaint. At present, the police is investigating the allegations related to both the parties and the available digital material.