Swatantra Bhardwaj, 22, was detained in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district.
NEW DELHI: Long before the viral video in which he boasted about assaulting a Jantar Mantar protester’s father, 'influencer' Swatantra Bhardwaj had built a sizeable following through provocative posts, political associations and incendiary remarks. Bhardwaj, 22, was detained in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district on Friday, hours after Delhi Police assured protesters from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) that he would be arrested within 72 hours.
Bhardwaj is accused of assaulting the father of student activist Nishu Azad during a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on July 20. His detention came after a clip from an interview went viral in which Bhardwaj is heard claiming that he had "cracked the skull" of the father. "Do you know which section this crime attracts? Section 307. He needed 60 stitches. The man was being taken away in an ambulance in 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 video.
He then named several political leaders while explaining why, according to him, he had little reason to fear arrest. "I have the blessings of Hanuman upon me. And secondly, Kapil Mishra is my elder brother. They say Kapil Mishra called and I was released. Chirag Paswan is my elder brother. How many leaders do you know? Do you know Modi ji? Modi ji is also my elder brother. I have everyone's support," he claimed. There is, however, no evidence to establish that any of the political leaders named by Bhardwaj intervened on his behalf in the case.
A provocative online presence
The viral clip also brought renewed attention to Bhardwaj's older social media posts and videos. According to news agency PTI, his Facebook page, which has around 327,000 followers, contains posts focused on cow protection, attacks on Muslims and critics of the government, as well as photographs appearing to show his proximity to political figures and official events. Some older videos circulating on social media purportedly show him making inflammatory remarks about Muslims and government critics. In others, he boasts about his political connections and claims he does not fear arrest.
His online presence suggests that the persona seen in the viral clip was not an isolated episode, but part of a broader public image he had cultivated over time. On Thursday, a day before his detention, Bhardwaj shared a screenshot showing his name among the trends on X, captioning it, "Love you all Virodhi". He also posted a photograph on Instagram showing a 'kada' on his wrist with the caption "Feel the power!". The post appeared to reference a Delhi Police statement that Kumar had been injured by a 'kada' and "not by any weapon".
His social media accounts also featured photographs with political leaders, including Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Delhi minister Kapil Mishra and Union minister Chirag Paswan. Paswan said on Friday that Bhardwaj had misused his name and the names of other leaders. The Union minister for food processing industries said he had lodged a complaint against Bhardwaj and demanded action against him. "No action despite the accused admitting to an attack that could have been fatal sets a bad example; I take responsibility for ensuring justice for the family," Paswan said.
Bhardwaj's accounts also included what appeared to be AI-generated images of him with women wearing burqas or hijabs. One particularly violent image, posted on 22 May, showed Bhardwaj holding the bloodied chin of a man. The accompanying text referred to "Mughal" and included the words "aa gaya swad". His Instagram account, which had around 184,000 followers, was deactivated on Friday. He also has a verified account on X with more than 6,400 followers.
The hunt for Bhardwaj
The viral video intensified demands for action against Bhardwaj, with protesters raising the issue during the CJP demonstration in Delhi on Friday. Police subsequently deployed several teams to trace him. According to police officials, Bhardwaj had travelled to Bulandshahr and was staying in Naithla village. He allegedly fled the village on a motorcycle towards Khurja before a police team could apprehend him. He was wearing a helmet, apparently in an attempt to conceal his identity, police said.
Local residents told TOI that Bhardwaj had arrived in Bulandshahr early on Friday, allegedly to evade arrest, and had taken shelter at the home of a local family. While there, he interacted with some journalists and reportedly repeated his claims about the alleged assault during the CJP protest. Bhardwaj was staying at the house of Harishankar Sharma, a Naithla resident who works as a cab driver in the Delhi-NCR region. Sharma said he had met Bhardwaj during an earlier journey. “Bhardwaj called me and said he wanted to come to my house to meet me. He arrived early in the morning along with another man. Initially, I did not suspect anything. But when media persons started arriving at my village, I sensed something was wrong,” Sharma said.
Sharma said Bhardwaj later asked to borrow his motorcycle, saying he would return “within five minutes”. “Then I came to know that Delhi Police had detained him. It was only after that I learnt that he was wanted in a criminal case in the national capital. I still do not know much about the case,” Sharma said.
The detention came after CJP representatives said Delhi Police had assured them that Bhardwaj “will be arrested within 72 hours”. The case has since drawn attention not only to the alleged assault but also to the online persona Bhardwaj had built through provocative posts, political associations and claims of influence.
