India
oi-Madhuri Adnal
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) plans to visit the Parliament Street Police Station in Delhi on Friday morning, demanding action against self-styled Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj over the alleged assault of Sanjay Kumar, the father of student protester Nishu Azad.
CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka has urged people to join the party members at the police station at 10 am. Party spokesperson Saurav Das is expected to lead the delegation, while Nishu has also said she will accompany her father.
The CJP is visiting Delhi’s Parliament Street Police Station on Friday demanding action against Swatantra Bhardwaj for allegedly assaulting Sanjay Kumar during a June 23 protest, while Delhi Police dispute claims of a fractured skull and political interference.
Ranka, in a post, called on people to turn up at the police station and seek action in the case.
What Happened At Jantar Mantar?
The case dates back to June 23, when a scuffle broke out during a CJP protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
Sanjay Kumar, 38, a resident of Ghaziabad, sustained a head injury during the incident. The CJP has alleged that he was attacked by Bhardwaj and others.
Bhardwaj later claimed in a video that he had “broken the skull” of Kumar during the protest. He also claimed that Kumar needed 60 stitches and had to be taken away in an ambulance.
In the same video, Bhardwaj claimed that he was not jailed after the incident and alleged that his political connections helped him avoid arrest. He referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi minister Kapil Mishra and Union minister Chirag Paswan as his “elder brothers”.
Delhi Police has disputed Bhardwaj’s claim that Kumar suffered a fractured or “cracked” skull.
The DCP New Delhi said the incident involved a scuffle in which Kumar was injured by a kada, or metal bangle, worn by one of the men involved. Police said Kumar was taken to RML Hospital for a medical examination and that his injuries were classified as “simple in nature”.
A case was registered at Parliament Street Police Station based on Kumar’s complaint.
Police said two men, Suraj Kumar, 24, and Swatantra Bhardwaj, 21, were detained from the protest site. They were subsequently served notices and questioned.
Delhi Police said legal action had been taken and that a chargesheet would be filed before the competent court. It also rejected allegations of political interference in the case.
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das has accused Delhi Police of not taking sufficiently stringent action against Bhardwaj.
Das alleged that Kumar had suffered a serious head injury and claimed that the police refused to add an attempt-to-murder charge under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code.
He also alleged that CJP members had asked police to include a more serious charge but were told by officials, including DCP Sachin Sharma and ACP Ajay Sharma, to “go get a court order”.
Das further questioned why other people allegedly involved in the assault had not been identified. He claimed that some of them had later posted videos and issued threats against Nishu.
The allegations made by the CJP have not been independently established.
The party has also raised questions about Delhi minister Kapil Mishra following Bhardwaj’s claims that political connections helped him avoid being jailed after the incident.
Das alleged that Mishra had pressured the police to release Bhardwaj and not invoke stricter sections against him.
He questioned whether Mishra should face action if the allegation of political interference is established and also asked whether the minister should resign.
These claims have also not been independently established.
Rahul Gandhi Questions Police Handling
The case has also drawn criticism from opposition leaders.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged that Bhardwaj was receiving political protection and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the matter.
“Why does such a criminal have the protection of you and the people in your party? Will there be action now, or will you keep shielding someone?” Gandhi said.
The CJP delegation is expected to reach the Parliament Street Police Station at 10 am on Friday to seek further action in the case.
