Jantar Mantar assault row: CJP says Delhi Police has assured arrest of Swatantra Bharadwaj in 72 hours - The Hindu

**Jantar Mantar Assault Row: Police Vow to Arrest Activist Swatantra Bhardwaj Within 72 Hours**

The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, addressing the Supreme Court on Thursday, remarked that Delhi Police had given a **written assurance** to arrest activist **Swatantra Bhardwaj** within 72 hours of the hearing. Bhardwaj is alleged to have assaulted the father of a student, **Aakash Sharma**, during a protest at Jantar Mantar on 23 May, an incident that quickly escalated into a nationwide controversy. Video footage released by the protesters showed Bhardwaj brandishing a stick and striking the man, after which the activist fled the scene and later disappeared from Delhi.

Bhardwaj, a prominent figure in the **Swara** movement and a self‑styled “freedom fighter,” was subsequently **detained in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh**, where police reportedly found him riding a **Bullet motorcycle** after a brief chase. He has been charged under the **Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act**, as well as sections of the Indian Penal Code dealing with assault and criminal intimidation. The Delhi Police, in coordination with the Uttar Pradesh authorities, confirmed that a **first information report (FIR)** has been filed and that Bhardwaj is now in judicial custody pending further investigation.

The Jantar Mantar protest, originally organized by the **Coalition for Justice and Peace (CJP)** to demand the implementation of a pending court order concerning student safety, has been marred by this violent episode. Civil society groups have condemned the assault and called for a swift, transparent inquiry, while Bhardwaj’s supporters argue that the charges are politically motivated. The Supreme Court’s intervention and the police’s pledge of a 72‑hour arrest window have been welcomed by victim‑rights advocates, who say the move restores some confidence in the rule of law amid growing concerns over activist‑related violence.