Swatantra Bhardwaj (File Photo)
BULANDSHAHR: Swatantra Bhardwaj, a social media “influencer” accused of assaulting the father of a student activist during CJP’s July protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, was “apprehended and detained” in UP’s Bulandshahr Friday, sources told TOI.The reported action against Bhardwaj came after CJP co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, along with supporters and some politicians, reached Parliament Street police station in Delhi, demanding stricter sections in the assault case. In a late development, a fresh FIR was registered against Bhardwaj under Pocso Act. Relevant sections of SC/ST Act were also added to earlier FIR, sources said. Bhardwaj had publicly said he had “cracked the skull” of the minor activist’s father during the protest, and bragged about being out of jail due to his ‘political connections’.
Bhardwaj arrived in Bulandshahr to evade arrest, stayed with a local
According to local residents in Bulandshahr who spoke to TOI, Bhardwaj arrived in the UP district early Friday, allegedly to evade arrest, and took shelter at the home of a local family in Naithla village. While there, he interacted with a few journalists and reportedly reiterated his claims about the “assault” during the CJP protest. According to CJP representatives Friday, Delhi Police had assured that Bhardwaj “will be arrested within 72 hours”. Bhardwaj was staying at the house of Harishankar Sharma, a Naithla resident who works as a cab driver in the Delhi-NCR region. Sharma told TOI that he had met Bhardwaj during a previous 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 added that Bhardwaj later asked if he could borrow a 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. Sharma later told ANI: “He was with me until 2 pm. The crime branch came from Delhi and took him away. They just came and said, ‘We’re from the crime branch; Swatantra, come with us,’ and took him along...” Shamshuddin Saifi, another local resident, claimed, “Some villagers became suspicious after spotting a car with three men in plainclothes. When we questioned the occupants, they said they were from the police... Later, we heard that Bhardwaj had been picked up from Dhameda Nara village in Bulandshahr.” Sikandrabad circle officer (CO) Deepak Kumar said the local police came to know about Bhardwaj’s presence via WhatsApp media groups. “We immediately sent a local police team to the area, but by the time the team reached, he had left that place,” the CO said, adding that Delhi Police officers did not record their arrival at the local police station. Originally from Bihar, Bhardwaj, who is in his early 20s, currently lives in Delhi, where he is pursuing his studies and preparing for govt service examinations, according to information on his social media profiles. His online accounts suggest he completed his schooling in Patna before relocating to Delhi. Bhardwaj describes himself as a “Sanatani Yoddha” and has built a sizeable following on social media, where he has posted several provocative videos and hate content. The minor activist alleged that she faced verbal abuse and rape threats after complaining about the assault on her father and filing an FIR. “It was hard to even step out. For a few weeks I could not go to school. I felt everyone was judging me. I hope police will take action,” she had said.
