Influencer Arrested After Alleged Attack on Dalit Leaders Father During Protest in Delhi

Bulandshahr, September 4 (Daily Kiran) : The Delhi Police took decisive action following a tumultuous protest at the Parliament Street police station on Friday. Influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj was apprehended in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, in connection with an alleged attack on Sanjay Kumar, the father of activist Nishhu Azad, during a demonstration by the Cockroach People’s Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar.

The incident gained widespread attention after a viral video surfaced in which Bhardwaj boasted about injuring Kumar, claiming he fractured his skull during the protest. In the video, he suggested that his political connections allowed him to evade police action.

According to the viral clip, Kumar reportedly sustained severe injuries, requiring 60 stitches. Following the video’s release, the CJP and various opposition parties accused the Delhi Police of inaction, asserting that an attack on a Dalit family occurred in broad daylight while the suspect roamed free.

In response, the CJP organized a protest outside the Parliament Street police station. The demonstration saw participation from Chandra Shekhar Azad, leader of the Azad Samaj Party, Pappu Yadav, a Member of Parliament from Purnia, and activists from the Indian Youth Congress. Following the protest, police assured that Bhardwaj would be arrested within 72 hours under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the SC/ST Act, and attempted murder charges.

CJP spokesperson Saurav Das expressed the organization’s demands to the police, questioning why attempted murder charges were not included in the FIR despite Kumar’s severe injuries. He pointed out that Bhardwaj himself had claimed attempted murder during a podcast interview, warranting the addition of relevant charges.

The organization called for strict enforcement of the SC/ST Act due to the case’s connection to a Dalit family and demanded identification and arrest of others involved in the incident. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi also sent his legal team to assist, while CJP lawyers met with the Additional DCP to press for stringent action.