Delhi Police Take Swatantra Bharadwaj into Custody Over Alleged Assault on Activist’s Father

New Delhi – On Saturday the Delhi Police marched Swatantra Bharadwaj, a self‑described influencer, into the Karkardooma Court complex, where a judge ordered him to spend a single day in police custody. The move comes after a flurry of complaints that he allegedly assaulted Sanjay Kumar, the father of a teenage activist, during a protest at Jantar Mantar in July.

Bharadwaj was nabbed in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday, just hours after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) – the very group that organised the demonstration – met senior police officials and demanded his immediate arrest. The party has been vocal, insisting that the assault was no ordinary scuffle and urging the authorities to tack on harsher provisions such as attempt‑to‑murder, criminal intimidation and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

According to the police, the injuries sustained by Kumar were “simple” – reportedly caused by a steel bracelet. Yet, on Friday the FIR was amended to include the aforementioned sections, and a fresh case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was lodged after the minor activist complained of online threats and harassment.

The controversy erupted when a video, which quickly went viral, showed Bharadwaj claiming he had physically attacked the protester’s father and boasting that his political connections had shielded him. Later, Bharadwaj tried to backtrack, saying he acted in self‑defence.

Union Minister Chirag Paswan, who also heads the LJP‑RV, entered the fray, asserting that his name was misused in the video. “I have filed an official complaint because my name and those of several politicians were dragged into this,” Paswan told reporters in Patna, urging a fair and thorough investigation.

Security around the Parliament Street Police Station was tightened after Bharadwaj’s supporters gathered to stage a protest. Barricades were erected, and paramilitary personnel were deployed as a precaution, police officials said.

The CJP, meanwhile, continued its pressure campaign, demanding that the attempt‑to‑murder charge be considered once a medical expert reviews the injuries. They also called for criminal intimidation and SC/ST Act provisions to be formally added to the case.

As the legal wheels turn, the incident has sparked a broader conversation about political influence, the safety of young activists, and the reach of online harassment in India’s protest landscape.