Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Tuesday granted three-week interim bail to Swatantra Bhardwaj in a case related to the alleged assault of the father of a teenage Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activist during the Jantar Mantar protest in July.
Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler of Patiala House Courts passed the order. A detailed order is awaited.
Court held in-camera proceedings
Yesterday, court decided to conduct the proceedings in camera after it was informed that two FIRs had been registered against Bhardwaj under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the POCSO Act.
The court was also informed that Bhardwaj was arrested in connection with the SC/ST Act FIR and not the POCSO case.
High Court had rejected habeas corpus plea
The Delhi High Court recently rejected Bhardwaj’s habeas corpus plea challenging his arrest. He is currently in judicial custody.
Bhardwaj was detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr on Friday, hours after the CJP staged a protest outside the Parliament Street police station demanding his arrest in the case.
There are also photographs with Kapil Mishra, a minister in the Delhi government, and Union Minister Chirag Paswan.
SC/ST Act, criminal intimidation provisions added
The Delhi Police had added provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and criminal intimidation to the FIR against Bhardwaj over the alleged assault on the minor activist’s father. A separate POCSO case has also been registered against him.
Video podcast brought Bhardwaj under scanner
Bhardwaj came under scrutiny after a video podcast in which he allegedly claimed to have assaulted the CJP protester’s father went viral. In the video, he also allegedly boasted about having political connections.
