Delhi HC To Hear Swatantra Bhardwaj’s Habeas Corpus Plea Against Arrest Today

The Delhi High Court on Monday agreed to urgently hear a habeas corpus petition challenging the arrest of right-wing influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj, who was taken into custody in connection with the alleged assault on the father of a student activist during a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

The matter was mentioned before a bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia after Bhardwaj’s counsel, advocate Umesh Sharma, sought an urgent hearing, stating that his client had been in custody for three days.

Bhardwaj was detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr on September 4 and subsequently arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch. He was produced before a Delhi court and sent to one day of police custody on Saturday. On Sunday, he was remanded to one day of judicial custody.

The arrest followed controversy over a video podcast in which Bhardwaj allegedly claimed that he had “cracked the skull” of the father of the student activist during the Jantar Mantar protest. Bhardwaj later claimed that he had acted in self-defence.

The Delhi Police has added provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and criminal intimidation to the case. A separate POCSO case has also been registered in connection with allegations involving threats to the student activist.

The case gained further attention after supporters of Bhardwaj gathered outside the Parliament Street police station, demanding the withdrawal of the case and a fair investigation.

The Delhi High Court’s urgent hearing will consider Bhardwaj’s challenge to his detention and arrest.