New Delhi: Self-styled Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj was detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr on Friday, shortly after the Delhi Police assured Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters that he will be arrested within 72 hours for allegedly assaulting a student activist’s father in July.
According to Delhi Police, multiple teams were formed to locate Bhardwaj after he was accused of attacking Sanjay Kumar, the father of Nishu Azad, during a protest in Delhi on July 20.
The case blew up after a video clip featuring Bhardwaj went viral. In the video, Bhardwaj, a self-described “kattar (hardline) Hindu”, claimed to have “cracked the skull” of Nishu’s father during the protest. Bharadwaj even bragged about escaping jail despite the offence.
“Do you know which section this crime attracts? Section 307. He needed 60 stitches. The man was being taken away in an ambulance in a serious condition. His daughter was standing outside the police station and saying that she would die by suicide if her father didn’t get justice. But I was not even jailed. The world should know this. I was out and about through the night,” Bhardwaj is heard saying in the viral clip from a podcast.
The viral video sparked severe backlash, with support pouring in for the student from Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, and CJP.
The controversy intensified after police rejected claims that Kumar’s skull had been fractured, and that he had suffered a head injury in a scuffle.
Top CJP leaders marched to the Parliament Street police station on Friday, demanding immediate action on Friday.
Before the issue got out of hand, police was instructed to swing into action. Once at it, they didn’t take long in nabbing Bharadwaj.