Swatantra Bhardwaj Booked Under POCSO for Alleged Rape Threats to Minor, Arrest Yet to Be Made

Swatantra Bhardwaj, a self-styled “influencer” accused of publicly claiming that he attacked the father of a minor protester during the Jantar Mantar demonstrations in Delhi, has been detained by police but is yet to be formally arrested, sources said.

Bhardwaj has been in police custody since Friday afternoon, according to sources. Delhi Police has registered a fresh FIR against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act following a complaint. Provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) Act have also been invoked, sources said.

The development followed protests at the Parliament Street police station on Friday, September 4, by members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and Indian Youth Congress, along with Lok Sabha MPs Chandra Shekhar and Rajesh Ranjan, demanding action against Bhardwaj.

What Is the Allegation Against Bhardwaj?

The 21-year-old Bhardwaj and others have been accused of assaulting Sanjay Azad, who had accompanied his minor daughter to the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar on June 23.

The case came into sharper focus after Bhardwaj allegedly spoke about the incident during a podcast. In the video, he claimed to have attacked the protester’s father and described the injuries he allegedly caused. “I cracked the skull of Nishu’s father,” Bhardwaj was heard saying, while claiming that the man suffered serious injuries and required dozens of stitches.

He also claimed that he had escaped jail despite the alleged assault and continued to move around freely.

Bhardwaj further referred to the minor girl’s alleged protest outside a police station, claiming she had threatened to take her own life if her father did not receive justice.

Bhardwaj Claims Backing From Political Leaders

During the podcast, Bhardwaj also claimed that several political leaders supported him, naming BJP leader Kapil Mishra, Union Minister Chirag Paswan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

These claims have not been independently established.

His remarks prompted a separate response from Chirag Paswan, whose Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) filed a complaint against Bhardwaj at the Parliament Street Police Station on Friday.

Chirag Paswan Demands Action

The LJP (Ram Vilas) alleged that Bhardwaj had misused Paswan’s name to create an impression that he enjoyed political protection. The party asked police to register an FIR and officially record that it had no connection with Bhardwaj or the alleged incident.

Paswan said that allowing someone to openly claim responsibility for an assault without facing legal action would set a “wrong precedent”. He said he had approached the police because Bhardwaj had allegedly invoked his name, along with those of other political leaders, and called for an impartial investigation.

Paswan also expressed support for Sanjay Azad and his family, saying that his party would stand with them and seek to ensure that the facts of the case come to light and appropriate legal action follows.