Delhi court grants regular bail to Swatantra Bhardwaj in Jantar Mantar assault case

A Delhi court on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) granted regular bail to self-styled Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj in a case concerning the alleged assault of the father of a student activist during the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar.

Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler passed the order after earlier giving Mr. Bhardwaj interim bail for three weeks and observing his conduct during the period.

The detailed bail order is awaited.

The court on September 15 granted Mr. Bhardwaj interim bail for three weeks, saying his conduct would be taken into account while deciding his plea for regular bail.

While granting interim relief, the court imposed several conditions on Mr. Bhardwaj, including a direction not to post, publish or discuss the case, his defence or the complainant's family on social media or any other media platform.

He was also directed not to contact the complainant, his daughter or any witness and not to interfere with the evidence in the case.

While granting the interim bail, the court had stressed that bail was an expression of the court's trust and "not a trophy to be displayed".

The court had also cautioned Mr. Bhardwaj against any public celebration following his release on bail.

The case relates to the alleged assault of the father of a student activist during the protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar.