Delhi court reserves order on bail plea of Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj
A Delhi court has reserved its order on the bail plea of Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj, who is accused of assaulting a student activist's father. The defense claims the arrest is politically motivated and that the complainant was the initial aggressor.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing tensions regarding political protests and the application of the SC/ST Act in high-profile legal disputes in India.
A Delhi court on Monday (September 14, 2026) reserved for September 15 its order on the bail plea of Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj in connection with the alleged assault on the father of a student activist during a protest at Jantar Mantar, among other charges.
During the proceedings, Mr. Bhardwaj's advocate claimed that his client had been arrested after "some political developments" and that the complainant in the present case had in fact attacked Mr. Bhardwaj during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest in June.
Mr. Bhardwaj had been remanded to 14 days' judicial custody on September 7.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in