New Delhi: Counsel for Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protester Nishu Azad, Rishav Ranjan, said that a delegation on Saturday met the Additional DCP to seek action against Swatantra Bhardwaj over an alleged assault on the father of the student protester.
Ranjan said the delegation included representatives of the AICC Law Department, Ayesha Khan and himself. According to him, the delegation raised the issue of an alleged admission made by Bhardwaj in a podcast video regarding the incident.
The counsel said the delegation demanded that additional provisions be incorporated into the case, including attempt-to-murder charges, criminal intimidation and relevant provisions of the SC/ST Act. He claimed that the Delhi Police agreed to examine and add the applicable charges.
The second major demand was the arrest of Bhardwaj. Ranjan said the Additional DCP indicated that the accused would be arrested on Saturday, with 72 hours cited as the upper limit for the arrest.
The development comes after CJP supporters gathered outside the Parliament Street Police Station, demanding police action against Bhardwaj over the alleged assault on Sanjay Kumar, the father of Nishu Azad.
The protest was triggered by a podcast video that allegedly circulated recently, in which Bhardwaj purportedly claimed that he had assaulted Sanjay Kumar during a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on July 20.
Congress Says Solidarity Must Lead to Legal Action
The Congress party also issued a statement backing Nishu Azad and her family, saying that solidarity with a young woman facing threats and intimidation must be accompanied by concrete legal action.
According to the party, Nishu had approached Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who stood by her and helped ensure that her concerns were taken up. The AICC Law Department subsequently deployed lawyers to provide legal assistance to her.
Congress said its legal team also facilitated the filing of a fresh and separate complaint concerning alleged threats against Nishu, including rape threats, which the party said had been issued in recent days.
The party appreciated the efforts of lawyers associated with the AICC Law Department, Mahila Congress, and Delhi Congress leaders and workers who supported Nishu and her family and assisted in pursuing the matter through legal channels.
Congress said Delhi Police had made specific commitments during the proceedings and expressed the expectation that all the assurances would be implemented.
The matter has now shifted from street protests to legal proceedings, with the complainant’s representatives seeking stronger charges and the arrest of the accused.