3 min readNew DelhiSep 6, 2026 10:55 PM ISTSwatantra Bhardwaj was picked up by the Crime Branch officers from his house in Bulandshahr on Friday and brought to Delhi after securing a transit remand. (X/Image enhanced using AI)Swatantra Bharadwaj, a self-styled influencer who purportedly admitted to attacking the father of a student protester at Jantar Mantar in Delhi in July during the protest by Cockroach Janta Party against paper leak issue, was sent to one day of judicial custody by a Delhi court on Sunday. This comes a day after he was arrested and sent to one day of police custody.“(The) accused was produced before the Magistrate at her residence on a holiday which is routine. The Magistrate Court did not have jurisdiction to decide the plea for judicial custody. Prosecution sought 14 days judicial custody which will be decided tomorrow by Sessions Judge…until then 1 day Judicial Custody was ordered. Fresh Medical Report has come. Several sections under SC/ST Act have been invoked in ongoing FIR,” said advocate Rishav Ranjan who appeared for the complainant in the case.Bhardwaj was picked up by the Crime Branch officers from his house in Bulandshahr on Friday and brought to Delhi after securing a transit remand. Subsequently, he was produced at the residence of a judge around 2 pm Saturday.“He was produced virtually and remanded to judicial custody. Given that the opposing counsel’s entire team is present, and considering the current situation, we will argue that his life is in danger… We will bring this matter to the attention of the Chief Justice and all relevant authorities to ensure he is protected at all costs. We must ensure he isn’t sacrificed due to political pressure,” advocate Umesh Sharma, who appeared for the accused, told reporters on Sunday.On Friday, relevant sections pertaining to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (SC/ST Act) were added to an earlier FIR registered against Bharadwaj over the alleged attack on the protester’s father, amid a protest by supporters of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and Indian Youth Congress, as well as Lok Sabha MPs Chandra Shekhar alias Azad and Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav.The same day an FIR was also registered under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and for criminal intimidation based on the protester’s complaint alleging she had received rape threats from Bhardwaj’s supporters.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdNirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023. Professional Background Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University. Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories. Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts. Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials. Recent notable articles In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories. 1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey. 2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation. 3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police. Signature Style Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on InstagramAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogBigg Boss Kannada 13 Contestants, Premiere Live Updates: Agnipariksha winner fat-shames contestants, triggers fight22 minutes agoBigg Boss Malayalam 8 Contestants LIVE Updates: Rahul Easwar, Gayathri Suresh, Sreelakshmi Arakkal enter Mohanlal’s show23 minutes agoBigg Boss 20 Contestants, Premiere Episode LIVE Updates: Mahhi Vij, Manoj Tiwari’s daughter Rhiti, Mary Kom, Isha Rikhi, Amrapali Dubey join Salman Khan’s show27 minutes agoDelhi Building Collapse Live News: ABVP’s 24 hours deadline to MCD Commissioner, alleges negligence27 minutes agoBigg Boss Telugu 10 Contestants, Launch Highlights: TV Actor Mukesh Gowda joins anchor Varshini, actors Vamsi, Krishnudu in Nagarjuna’s Show43 minutes agoAdvertisement