New Delhi, September 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A Delhi court on Thursday declined an out-of-turn hearing on the bail plea of self-styled ‘influencer’ Swatantra Bhardwaj, who is in judicial custody in connection with the alleged assault of the father of a minor activist during a protest at Jantar Mantar.
Bhardwaj’s counsel sought an immediate hearing of the bail application before the District Judge. However, the Patiala House Court refused the request for an out-of-turn hearing and said the application would be taken up on September 14.
The development comes days after the Delhi High Court dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by Bhardwaj challenging his arrest in the case.
A Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja rejected the petition after the Delhi Police submitted that it was not maintainable as Bhardwaj had already been remanded to judicial custody.
On Monday, the Patiala House Court sent Bhardwaj to 14 days of judicial custody, with his next production scheduled for September 21. He had been detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district on Friday, hours after representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) met senior Delhi Police officials and demanded his arrest.
According to the Delhi Police, Bhardwaj is accused of assaulting Sanjay Kumar, father of a minor protester, during a CJP-led demonstration at Jantar Mantar in July. Police had initially described the injuries as “simple” and said they were caused by a steel bracelet.
The FIR was subsequently expanded to include provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and criminal intimidation. The CJP also demanded that an attempt-to-murder charge be added, while police said the provision would be considered after obtaining an expert medical opinion.
A separate FIR has been registered against Bhardwaj under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on the complaint of the minor activist, who alleged online rape threats and harassment. The case also invokes relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.
The controversy followed a purported viral video in which Bhardwaj allegedly claimed to have physically assaulted the minor activist’s father during the Jantar Mantar protest and allegedly said he was let off because of his “political connections”. Bhardwaj later told the media that he had allegedly acted in self-defence.
Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (LJP-RV) chief Chirag Paswan said his name had been “misused” by Bhardwaj in the purported video. Paswan said he had filed an official complaint and would ensure justice for the minor and her family.
The CJP had also staged a protest outside the Parliament Street Police Station, demanding action against Bhardwaj and seeking the addition of attempt-to-murder, criminal intimidation and SC/ST Act provisions to the case.
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