Jantar Mantar attack: Swatantra Bhardwaj, who boasted of breaking human skull, booked under POCSO Act in fresh FIR | Today’s news

Delhi Police on Friday registered a fresh FIR against self-proclaimed Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO), police said.

The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was also added to the earlier FIR registered in connection with the case, news agency ANI reported.

Delhi Police said Bhardwaj has not been arrested so far. According to PTI, he was detained in Uttar Pradesh on Friday, hours after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) staged a protest outside the Parliament Street police station demanding his arrest for assaulting a student’s father, a crime he bragged about in an interview.

The Cockroaches Janata Party demanded legal action against Swatantra Bharadwaj.

The detention came after CJP representatives, accompanied by Azad Samaj Party chief (Kanshi Ram) and Nagin MP Chandrashekhar Azad and MP Pappu Yadav, met police officials and were assured that action would be taken against Bhardwaj within 72 hours.

What was Swatantra Bhardwaj accused of?

The police registered a fresh FIR under the POCSO Act following a complaint by a minor activist who alleged that she was threatening and harassing her online.

The case also invokes Sections 351(3), 78 (stalking) and 79 (outraging the modesty of a woman) of the IPC, besides Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, CJP co-convener Saurav Das said, according to PTI.

“Online threats” to Nisha

Delhi student activist Nishu Azad Nishu, a minor, had earlier alleged that she received threats of rape, verbal abuse and defaced pictures after she spoke out against her father’s alleged assault and filed a police complaint.

A senior police officer in Delhi confirmed to PTI that a fresh FIR has been registered under POCSO charges, but declined to give any further details, citing that it pertains to a minor.

Nishu claimed that she received online threats after her complaint about the attack on her father.

“I was ashamed to come out at all. I couldn’t go to school for a few weeks, I feel like everyone is judging me. I hope the police will intervene,” Nishu said outside the Parliament Street police station, according to PTI.

She claimed she faced verbal abuse and threats of rape and her pictures were altered after she spoke out about the assault and filed an FIR.

Swatantra Bhardwaj’s viral video: ‘Cracked the skull’

This development came after Swatantra Bhardwaj’s video went viral in which he allegedly claimed that despite allegedly attacking activist Nishu Azad’s father, he did not go to jail because of his political connections.

According to PTI, 22-year-old Bhardwaj, who describes himself as a “kattar” (faithful) Hindu, claimed in an interview that during the CJP’s protest at Jantar Mantar in July, he smashed the skull of an activist’s (Nisha) father and got away with it because of his political connections, sparking widespread outrage on social media.

“I cracked Nishu’s father’s skull. Do you know which section this crime attracts? Section 307. He needed 60 stitches. The man was taken away by ambulance in serious condition. His daughter was standing outside the police station saying she would die by suicide if her father didn’t get justice. But I wasn’t even jailed.”

In the clip that drew attention to him, Bhardwaj also named several political leaders.

“I have the blessings of Hanuman on me. And secondly, Kapil Mishra is my elder brother. They say Kapil Mishra called and I was released. Chirag Paswan is my elder brother. How many leaders do you know? Do you know Modi ji? Modi ji is also my elder brother. I have everyone’s support,” he claimed.

However, there is no evidence to show that political leaders appointed by Bhardwaj intervened on his behalf in the case.

There are also photographs of Bhardwaj with political leaders, including Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra and Union Food Minister Chirag Paswan.

Claiming that Bhardwaj had misused his name and that of other leaders, Paswan on Friday said he had lodged a complaint against Bhardwaj and demanded action.

“No action, despite the accused confessing to an attack that could have been fatal, is not a bad example; I take responsibility to ensure justice for the family,” Paswan said.

Swatantra Bhardwaj says it was ‘self defence’

Swatantra Bharadwaj has clarified claims of assault on CJP activist Nishu Azad’s father during a protest at Jantar Mantar, saying the incident was an act of “self-defence”.

Bharadwaj said what was described as an attack was an act of self-defence and claimed that if he had not acted, he could have been lynched or killed.

His explanation came after a clip of the podcast surfaced on social media.

Bharadwaj told ANI, “What people are calling an attack was an act of self-defence. Had I not acted in self-defence, I could have been lynched by the mob or killed. There was no attempt to attack him. I have proof in the form of a video.”

“I was gheraoed by 10-15 people. When I acted in self-defence, he received a blow on the head. According to his medical report from the Delhi Police, he did not sustain any major injuries. I am cooperating with the ongoing investigation,” said Swatantra Bhardwaj.

Swatantra Bhardwaj also dismissed the authenticity of the podcast clip doing the rounds on social media as fake.

“The podcast clip that Rahul Gandhi and others are sharing on social media is fake. To those who are saying that I was fired because of Kapil Mishra’s influence, I want to tell them that Kapil Mishra and Chirag Paswan are like my brothers. People should understand what was said with sarcasm,” said Swatantra Bhardwaj.

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday extended his support to activist Nisha Aazad and accused the Center of protecting a criminal who allegedly assaulted her father.

In a post on X, Gandhi responded to a plea by Aazad, who claimed that despite a viral video of the accused confessing to the crime, no action had been taken by the Delhi Police for over a month and a half.

“Nisha, no need to panic. I am with you. It is clear that you are being targeted because you are raising your voice for the rights of your community and students,” wrote Rahul Gandhi.

Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi questioned the alleged inaction of the Delhi Police.

“Amit Shah’s Delhi Police on one hand is committing inhuman brutality against students. On the other hand, a criminal who smashed the head of a dalit girl’s father is roaming free in the open. Narendra Modi ji, Amit Shah ji – why does such a criminal have protection for you and people in your group? Will he shield someone now or will you continue?” Gandhi wrote and ended his post with the words “Jai Bhim. Jai Constitution.”

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal also shared a video related to the Jantar Mantar protest posted by the CJP on his X handle and questioned the alleged protection given to Bharadwaj, who, according to the video, had alleged that he had assaulted people during the demonstration.

He questioned whether freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh sacrificed their lives for a country where the prime minister would “openly protect such thugs”.