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Swatantra Bhardwaj granted regular bail in alleged assault case related to CJP protest
Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Tuesday granted regular bail to Swatantra Bhardwaj in the alleged assault case related to the CJP protest. Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler passed this order.
The case relates to the alleged assault on the father of a student activist during a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar on June 23. Bhardwaj was charged in the case, which he and his lawyers have disputed.
Bhardwaj had earlier been granted interim bail for three weeks. Now the court has granted him regular bail, although the detailed order and final conditions will be revealed in a separate order.
Regular relief order granted after three weeks of interim bail
On September 15, the court granted Bhardwaj three weeks of interim bail. At that time the court had said that while deciding on regular bail, his conduct during the interim relief would also be taken into consideration.
Several conditions were imposed on him during the interim bail. These also included a condition not to share material related to the case, the defence or the complainant’s family on social media or any other public platform.
He was also instructed not to contact the complainant, his daughter or any witness and not to tamper with evidence. The court attached importance to the observance of these conditions while considering regular bail.
The dispute occurred during the Jantar Mantar protest.
The case relates to the CJP’s protest at Jantar Mantar on June 23. The father of a student activist also participated in the protest, and the alleged dispute occurred during that protest.
Bhardwaj was charged by the police and the prosecution for alleged assault. Later, sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were also added to the case.
At the same time, the defense had questioned the allegations and argued that there was political influence in the case. Arguments of both the parties were presented before the court and the issue of documents and electronic evidence related to the investigation was also raised.
The court also addressed issues related to the investigation during the interim bail.
At the time of the interim bail, the court raised questions about the progress of the investigation and some of the evidence. This also included examining CCTV footage and other electronic material from the protest site.
The court had asked the investigating agency to preserve and examine the digital and social media evidence related to the case. The issue of checking call details and location records also came up.
Now, after getting regular bail, Bhardwaj will remain out of custody during the trial proceedings. The final decision on the charges leveled in the case is yet to be taken.
The police and defense argued differently.
The prosecution opposed Bhardwaj’s bail application and presented the charges against him and the investigation into the case before the court. The defense, on the other hand, took a different stance regarding the arrest and the charges.
The defence also said that the video and other material available in the case should be examined in its entirety. These arguments were also considered by the court during interim bail.
The court has now issued a detailed order granting regular bail. The detailed order is expected to give a complete picture of the bail conditions and the court’s reasons.
Further legal proceedings will be monitored.
Regular bail does not mean that the charges in the case have been proven. The legal process on the charges and the arguments of the defence will continue during further hearing and investigation of the case.
The detailed order of the court will also make it clear what conditions will be applicable to Bhardwaj during regular bail. Earlier, during interim bail, special restrictions were imposed on social media activities and contact with witnesses.
The police investigation and further court proceedings in the case will make it clear what judicial conclusion is reached on the disputed facts related to the allegations.
Swatantra Bhardwaj granted regular bail; case hearing to continue
Swatantra Bhardwaj has been granted regular bail in the case of alleged assault during the CJP protest. This relief follows a period of three weeks of interim bail.
Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler of Patiala House Court passed the order. The detailed order will contain the bail conditions and the court’s detailed reasons.
At present, Bhardwaj has been relieved from custody, but the case related to the Jantar Mantar protest is not over yet. The final decision on the charges will be taken in further judicial process.
