Influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj Detained Over Jantar Mantar Assault
A 22-year-old social media influencer, Swatantra Bhardwaj, was detained in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district on Friday after a video surfaced in which he boasted about assaulting a student activist's father at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The assault took place on July 20 during a protest, leaving the victim with severe head injuries that required 60 stitches.
The detention came hours after Delhi Police assured demonstrators from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) that Bhardwaj would be taken into custody within 72 hours. Protesters had mobilized following the circulation of an interview clip in which Bhardwaj claimed he had "cracked the skull" of the victim and suggested the crime fell under Section 307 for attempt to murder. In the video, Bhardwaj bragged that he had avoided jail overnight by citing alleged ties to several prominent political figures.
According to police officials, Bhardwaj fled to Bulandshahr and took shelter in Naithla village at the residence of Harishankar Sharma, a Delhi-NCR cab driver who had met him during a previous journey. Sharma stated that Bhardwaj arrived early on Friday morning with another man. After media personnel reached the village, Bhardwaj borrowed Sharma's motorcycle under the pretext of returning in five minutes and fled toward Khurja while wearing a helmet to hide his identity. Delhi Police tracking teams intercepted and detained him shortly after.
In his viral statements, Bhardwaj claimed to have the support of Union Minister Chirag Paswan and Delhi leader Kapil Mishra. However, there is no evidence that any political figure intervened on his behalf. Union Minister Chirag Paswan rejected the claims on Friday, stating that Bhardwaj had misused his name. Paswan announced that he had lodged a formal complaint seeking strict legal action against the influencer, noting that boasting about a potentially fatal attack sets a dangerous precedent.
Bhardwaj, who commanded hundreds of thousands of followers across platforms including Facebook and Instagram before his Instagram account was deactivated on Friday, had routinely posted provocative content and photos with politicians. Just a day prior to his detention, Bhardwaj shared images referencing a Delhi Police statement that the victim was injured by an iron kada worn on his wrist rather than a weapon.
