Security personnel deployed outside the Patiala House Courts ahead of the hearing of social media influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj in an alleged assault case, in New Delhi. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
A Delhi court on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) granted Hindutva activist Swatantra Bhardwaj three weeks’ interim bail in connection with a case arising from an alleged assault on the father of a Dalit student-activist during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP)-led protests at Jantar Mantar.
Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Partap Singh Laler of Patiala House Courts, while ordering his release for three weeks, said that the duty under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to protect the victim and the duty under Article 21 of the Constitution to safeguard personal liberty are best reconciled by releasing the applicant on interim bail for three weeks on stringent conditions.
“His conduct during that period will be observed, and his prayer for regular bail will then be considered in its light. Whatever is to be decided about the incident of 23.06.2026 must be decided in a court of law, on evidence, and not in public or on social media,” the court noted.
No interaction with media
Apart from furnishing a personal bond of ₹50,000, the court ordered him to not to speak to media, post messages on social media, get in contact with the victim or her family, etc.
The court added that if the complainant or the investigating officer finds him breaching any of the conditions of the interim bail, they are at liberty to bring the same to the court’s notice without waiting for the next date, so that the interim bail may be reviewed or recalled.
“The application for regular bail shall remain pending, and shall be considered on the next date in the light of the applicant’s conduct and the status report,” it added.
Mr. Bhardwaj was arrested in Uttar Pradesh on September 5 over allegations of assault at the Jantar Mantar protest site. He was booked for assault under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. A separate FIR was also registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The initial FIR filed in the matter only invoked Sections 115(2) (causing simple hurt) and 126(2) (wrongful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The matter grew bigger when the accused claimed on social media that he had fractured the complainant’s skull and had been detained by police for only a few hours. He added that no one can touch him due to his “connections”.
Later, the CJP led a protest outside the Parliament Street police station seeking action in this issue. This is when police added additional charges in the FIR.
Mr. Bhardwaj moved the Delhi High Court seeking a declaration that his arrest was illegal. The habeas corpus petition was rejected and he remains in judicial custody.
The court noted that the allegation of caste-based insults, although said to have occurred at the beginning of the incident, was absent from the original complaint and surfaced for the first time about 10 weeks later. The judge said the delay did not by itself establish that the allegation was false, but could be considered while assessing the case for bail.
The court also stressed that questions about what was said, who was the aggressor and the authenticity of competing videos would ultimately have to be decided at trial.
Published – September 15, 2026 04:43 pm IST