Delhi Court Grants 3‑Week Interim Bail to Swatantra Bhardwaj in Jantar Mantar Assault Case

On Tuesday, a Delhi court tossed a three‑week interim bail to Swatantra Bhardwaj – the young activist whose name has been splashed across headlines ever since a June protest at Jantar Mantar turned chaotic.

Bhardwaj, who has been in judicial custody since his arrest in Uttar Pradesh on September 5, faces charges of assaulting the father of a Dalit student‑activist. The incident allegedly unfolded during a demonstration organized by the so‑called Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

His lawyer, Umesh Sharma, made a spirited plea, insisting the arrest was less about law‑and‑order and more about politics. “The police aren’t even seeing the video,” Sharma said, gesturing to a clip he claimed showed the complainant striking Bhardwaj, causing him to fall. “It’s crystal clear the complainant attacked me.”

Sharma went on to argue that Bhardwaj’s detention under the SC/ST Act was a post‑political‑play. He reminded the bench that Bhardwaj had been served a notice on June 27, appeared for questioning on June 29, and was let go – only to be re‑arrested in early September, after a fresh FIR under the POCSO Act was lodged.

On the other side, advocate Swati Khanna, representing the complainant, painted a very different picture. She alleged that Bhardwaj hurled caste‑based slurs at the father and even admitted his role in a video, contradicting the defense’s narrative. Delhi Police, however, noted that the original complaint did not mention any casteist remark; such an allegation surfaced only later, prompting the addition of SC/ST provisions.

Khanna also reminded the court that Bhardwaj had previously challenged his detention before the Delhi High Court via a habeas corpus petition – a plea that was turned down. The bail order, though, gives him a brief window of freedom while the longer‑term legal battle continues.

As the case unfolds, observers are left to wonder whether the judiciary is merely buying time for due process, or if the political undercurrents are indeed as Bhardwaj’s counsel suggests. One thing is clear: the Jantar Mantar episode has once again spotlighted the fraught intersection of protest, caste politics, and the law in India.