The Patiala House Court on Monday reserved its order on the bail plea of right-wing activist Swatantra Bhardwaj in an alleged assault case involving the father of a minor CJP activist.
Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler is expected to pronounce the order on the bail application on Tuesday.
During the proceedings, the court was informed that two FIRs have been registered against Bhardwaj, including one under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and another under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Following the submission, the court decided to conduct the proceedings in camera. Bhardwaj is currently in judicial custody. His continued custody comes after the Delhi High Court recently dismissed his habeas corpus petition challenging his arrest.
Bhardwaj had approached the Delhi High Court challenging his arrest. He had filed a habeas corpus petition seeking relief against his alleged illegal detention.
Bhardwaj Arrest Case
Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested Swatantra Bhardwaj after he was detained in Bulandshahr on September 4. Bhardwaj was later produced before the Patiala House Court, which initially granted the police one day police custody. After the police remand ended, a Duty Magistrate sent Bhardwaj to judicial custody for one day. Later, the concerned court extended his judicial custody for 14 days.
What the case is all about
The case stems from an alleged incident during the NEET-UG paper leak protest at Jantar Mantar. Initially, the FIR was registered after allegations of causing hurt. However, during the course of the investigation, provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were added based on a supplementary statement recorded by the investigating agency.
The entire case came into limelight after a podcast video of Swatantra Bhardwaj emerged in which he was allegedly heard boasting about the Jantar Mantar incident. “I cracked the skull of the man.. Do you know which section this crime attracts? Section 307 (Attempt to Murder). He needed 60 stitches,” Bhardwaj was quoted as saying during a podcast.
Bhardwaj also reportedly asserted that he had high-profile political connections who helped him evade arrest following the incident. He even named Union Minister Chirag Paswan, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra as his ‘Bade Bhai’.
Nakshab Khan is a senior journalist with nearly two decades of experience in Indian media. Beginning his career in 2007, he has worked with leading news organisations, including Times Now, News18, TV9 Network, IANS, Zee Media, UNI TV. He is currently associated with NewsX Digital as a Deputy Editor.
Over the years, Nakshab has extensively covered politics, international affairs, crime, and public policy. He has special interest in global affairs, with a strong focus on West Asian affairs. He can be reached at nakshab.ali@gmail.com.
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