The Patiala House Court in New Delhi has granted regular bail to self-styled influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj, who was arrested in connection with the alleged assault of the father of a minor activist during a protest at Jantar Mantar in July. The development comes weeks after the court had previously extended interim relief to Bhardwaj pending a final decision on his bail application.

Background of the Case

Bhardwaj is accused of assaulting Sanjay Kumar, the father of a minor protester, during the Jantar Mantar demonstration. The case drew significant public attention after a purported viral video surfaced in which Bhardwaj allegedly admitted to the assault and claimed he had been let off owing to his 'political connections.' Bhardwaj subsequently told the media that he had acted in self-defence.

The First Information Report (FIR) invokes relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and provisions relating to criminal intimidation. A separate FIR was also 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.

Key Developments in Court

The Patiala House Court had on 15 September granted Bhardwaj three weeks' interim bail while considering his regular bail plea. During the September hearing, the court questioned the Delhi Police on whether Bhardwaj had used caste-indicative language during the alleged incident. The prosecution submitted that the initial complaint made no mention of such language, and that the allegation was added subsequently when the complainant's statement was recorded a second time — after which provisions of the SC/ST Act were incorporated into the FIR.

The Delhi Police had earlier characterised the injuries sustained by complainant Sanjay Kumar as 'simple' in nature, reportedly caused by a steel bracelet.

Arrest and High Court Proceedings

Bhardwaj was detained in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district on 4 September, hours after representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) met senior Delhi Police officials and demanded his arrest. A habeas corpus petition filed by Bhardwaj challenging his detention was subsequently dismissed by the Delhi High Court. A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja rejected the plea after Delhi Police submitted it was not maintainable, as Bhardwaj had already been placed in judicial custody.

What This Means Going Forward

With regular bail now granted, Bhardwaj's case will continue before the trial court. The contested inclusion of SC/ST Act provisions — added after an amended complainant statement — is likely to remain a central legal question as the case proceeds. The POCSO complaint lodged by the minor activist adds another dimension that courts will address separately.