The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Friday staged a protest outside the Parliament Street Police Station, demanding the immediate arrest of self-styled influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj after a viral podcast showed him boasting about “cracking the skull” of a protester’s father during the June 23 Jantar Mantar protest.
Bhardwaj later called the incident self-defence
The protest followed a viral clip from a podcast in which Bhardwaj appeared to speak about the June 23 incident at Jantar Mantar. He also claimed that Kumar needed 60 stitches and referred to Section 307, which is associated with an attempt to murder charge. Delhi Police has given a different account of the June 23 incident. The office of the DCP New Delhi said Sanjay, 38, a resident of Ghaziabad, suffered a head injury from a kada, or metal bangle, during a scuffle at the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar.
In the viral clip, Bhardwaj claimed that he had attacked Nishu Azad’s father and said, “Nishu ke baap ka hum sir phaade hain”. He said that Delhi minister Kapil Mishra was his “elder brother” and claimed that Mishra had called after the incident. He also described Union minister Chirag Paswan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his “elder brothers” and claimed to have their support. Reports said Mishra and Paswan were contacted for a response but had not replied at the time. He himself acknowledges that a case of attempted murder should be registered against him, yet the Delhi Police took no action against the individual, who enjoyed the protection of Kapil Mishra and BJP goons,” he said. Police said Kumar was examined by doctors at RML Hospital and that his injuries were described as “simple in nature”. It also said the injury was caused by the kada and not a weapon. A case was registered at Parliament Street Police Station on the basis of Kumar’s complaint, according to Delhi Police. Police said two men, Suraj Kumar and Swatantra Bhardwaj, were detained from the protest site. Police said legal action had been taken and that a chargesheet would be filed before the competent court. The matter has been dealt with strictly in accordance with law and procedures,” Delhi Police said. In an interview with ANI, he said the incident was an act of self-defence and claimed he could have been lynched if he had not acted. I have video proof,” Bhardwaj said, according to ANI. He also called the viral podcast clip “fake” and said he was cooperating with the investigation.
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das and co-convener Ashutosh Ranka led the protest. Azad Samaj Party chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad, student activist Nishu Azad, and her injured father, Sanjay, also participated. The case concerns Sanjay, the father of student activist Nishu Azad, who suffered a head injury during a scuffle at the protest. Bhardwaj further claimed that he did not spend a night in jail after the incident. CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka questioned the law and order situation in the national capital and demanded stronger action against Bhardwaj. “During our protest, Sanjay-ji, the father of our colleague Nishu, was attacked, and his head was split open. This incident happened openly. The situation in the national capital has now reached a point where goons openly admit to splitting Sanjay-ji’s head open. It was clearly an attempt to kill him. CJP has argued that the nature of the injury should have led to a more serious charge and has questioned why Bhardwaj was not arrested after the viral video appeared. CJP leaders have also raised allegations of political protection. Those allegations have been denied by Delhi Police. Police rejected the claim that Kumar suffered a cracked skull, saying the claim was not supported by the medical report and was baseless. They were later served notices and questioned during the investigation. The force also rejected allegations that political influence had affected the investigation. “Any allegation of undue influence or interference in the matter is factually incorrect and baseless. After the podcast clip went viral online, Bhardwaj offered a different explanation. “What people are calling an attack was an act of self-defence. If I had not acted in self-defence, I could have been lynched by the mob or killed. There was no attempt to attack him. The video has drawn reactions from opposition leaders, including Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi backed Nishu Azad and questioned why Bhardwaj was not in jail if the allegations were true. The controversy now centres on two different accounts. Bhardwaj’s podcast comments and later explanation are being challenged by CJP, while Delhi Police has disputed the claim that Sanjay Kumar suffered a fractured skull or that political influence affected the case.
The police have said the investigation has followed legal procedure and that a chargesheet will be filed before the court. The final findings in the case will depend on the evidence and the judicial process.
