Influencer Flaunts Kada After Jantar Mantar Scuffle; Police Deny Skull Fracture Claim

Influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj posted a photograph flaunting his kada on Instagram with the caption “Feel the power!”, days after boasting on a podcast about cracking the skull of a protester’s father during a scuffle at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

The social media post surfaced around the same time Delhi Police issued an official clarification regarding the incident, which occurred during a demonstration organised by the CJP at the protest site.

In the podcast video that sparked a political controversy, Bhardwaj claimed that he had physically assaulted the victim, stating, “I cracked the skull of Nishu's father.” He further alleged that high-profile political connections helped him stay out of jail, claiming that a phone call from Delhi minister Kapil Mishra had helped him remain free. Bhardwaj also referred to Mishra, Chirag Paswan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his “elder brothers” and claimed to enjoy their backing.

Delhi Police dismissed the influencer’s assertions of political interference, labelling them “factually incorrect and baseless.” Law enforcement authorities confirmed that due legal action had been taken against Bhardwaj as well as another accused individual.

According to police officials, the victim was identified as Sanjay Kumar, a 38-year-old resident of Ghaziabad and the father of student protester Nishu Azad. Police confirmed that Kumar sustained a head injury during a scuffle at the Jantar Mantar protest on June 23, but they firmly rejected claims that his skull had been fractured.