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

The Delhi High Court is set to hear on Monday a habeas corpus petition concerning right-wing influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj.

Who was arrested last week over an 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 D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, following which the court agreed to hear the petition.

Bhardwaj’s lawyer sought an urgent hearing, submitting that his client had already spent three days in custody.

Why Was Swatantra Bhardwaj Arrested?

Bhardwaj was arrested on Friday after being detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr. He was subsequently produced before a Delhi court, which sent him to one-day police custody on Saturday.

The arrest came amid controversy over a video podcast in which Bhardwaj allegedly claimed that he had “cracked the skull” of the student activist’s father during the Jantar Mantar protest.

Bhardwaj later maintained that he had acted in self-defence.

The Delhi Police had earlier said that the injuries sustained by the student activist’s father were “simple in nature”.

Court Sends Bhardwaj to Judicial Custody

On Sunday, a Delhi court sent Bhardwaj to one-day judicial custody in the case, which was registered under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

He was produced before Duty Magistrate Anjali Singh of the Patiala House Court through video conference by the Delhi Police.

The habeas corpus petition before the Delhi High Court seeks judicial intervention over Bhardwaj’s detention.

Supporters Protest Outside Police Station

Meanwhile, several supporters of Bhardwaj gathered outside the Parliament Street police station on Saturday.

The protesters demanded that the case against him be withdrawn and called for what they described as a fair investigation into the allegations.

The High Court hearing on Monday is expected to examine the plea challenging Bhardwaj’s detention as the legal proceedings in the assault case continue.