Bhardwaj detained, faces SC/ST Act, POCSO charges over CJP protest assault

 Delhi Police on Friday added provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and criminal intimidation to the FIR against Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj over the alleged assault on the father of a minor activist, during the CJP-led protest at Jantar Mantar in July. A POCSO case has also been registered against him.

Bhardwaj was detained in Bulandshahr earlier in the day, hours after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) staged a protest outside the Parliament Street police station demanding his arrest over the alleged assault.

CJP co-convener Saurav Das said Section 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), pertaining to criminal intimidation with threat of death, and provisions of the SC/ST Act have been added to the existing FIR.

"Attempt to murder or attempt to culpable homicide" provisions would also be added shortly, Das said, adding that the legal team was pressing for inclusion of a grievous injury section.

The action follows outrage over an interview in which Bhardwaj claimed he had "cracked the skull" of the minor activist's father during the July 20 protest and escaped arrest because of his political connections.

"I cracked the skull... Do you know which section this crime attracts? Section 307. He needed 60 stitches," Bhardwaj had said in the interview.

Delhi Police had earlier said Sanjay's injuries were simple in nature and were caused by a steel bracelet. Bhardwaj later claimed in a podcast that he had acted in self-defence.

In a separate development, police registered a fresh FIR under the POCSO Act on a complaint by the minor activist, alleging online threats and harassment. The case also invokes BNS Sections 351(3), 78 (stalking) and 79 (insulting the modesty of a woman), besides Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, Das said.

The minor activist had earlier alleged that she received rape threats, verbal abuse and morphed images after speaking out against the alleged assault on her father and filing a police complaint.

"Our lawyer Shivansh Agarwal is currently at the police station and following up with the police to ensure they fulfil their commitments," Das said in a post on X.

A senior Delhi police officer confirmed that a fresh FIR has been registered under the charges of POCSO, but refused to share any more details citing that it involves a minor.

The developments came after CJP representatives, accompanied by Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad, met police officials at the Parliament Street police station and sought action against Bharadwaj.

The delegation had also demanded the addition of attempt-to-murder, criminal intimidation and SC/ST Act provisions to the case and a separate FIR over alleged rape threats and online abuse targeting the minor activist.