Activist Swatantra Bhardwaj, accused of assaulting the father of a student protester during a demonstration at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, has been detained in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, police sources said. Bhardwaj was detained near Dhamra Nara village after police teams traced him to the district.
He had reportedly left Naithla village on a motorcycle before an earlier attempt to apprehend him. His detention comes amid renewed political pressure over the case following the circulation of a podcast in which he appeared to boast about assaulting Sanjay Kumar, the father of student protester Nishu Azad.
The case relates to a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest against alleged examination paper leaks at Jantar Mantar on June 23. Delhi Police said Kumar sustained a head injury during a scuffle at the demonstration.
