Jantar Mantar assault row: CJP protests outside Delhi’s Parliament Street police station, seeks action against attack on student’s father

Members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including Saurav Das and Nishu Aazad, along with their supporters are protesting at the Parliament Street police station on Friday (September 4, 2026), seeking a revisit of the FIR registered over an assault on Ms. Nishu’s father, Sanjay Kumar, during the students protest that took place at Jantar Mantar in July.

There is a heavy police deployment outside the police station.

The development comes after a video surfaced online featuring the alleged accused Swatantra Bhardwaj, in which he purportedly spoke about the assault and claimed he “had not been jailed,” triggering fresh questions over the police action in the case. CJP members have alleged that the case should have included a more stringent provision for attempt to murder or grievous hurt and have also raised allegations of political interference.

Mr. Das said the CJP has not left the students or protesters to “fight this battle alone” and alleged that Mr. Bhardwaj had openly spoken about attacking Mr. Sanjay, who had been peacefully protesting over issues concerning NEET students.

“Sanjayji’s case is harrowing. Gang members like Swatantra Bhardwaj are openly flaunting that they attempted to murder Sanjayji, who was simply peacefully protesting for NEET students. Sanjayji was brutally attacked and barely survived,” Mr. Das said.

He said he and other CJP members would seek justice for Mr. Sanjay and Ms. Nishu at the police station, arguing that the alleged statements by Mr. Bhardwaj amounted to an admission of the assault.

Mr. Das had earlier alleged that the injury was severe enough to warrant an attempt-to-murder charge, describing the wound as having been of a size that, in his view, warranted invoking Section 307 of the IPC. He alleged that the police refused to add the provision and also declined his request to invoke provisions relating to grievous hurt. “Sanjayji’s skull was cracked open. The wound dimensions were of such great size that it obviously warranted an Attempt to Murder charge in the FIR,” Mr. Das had said, while alleging that the police asked them to obtain a court order for stronger sections.

He had also alleged that other persons who were with Mr. Bhardwaj during the incident had not been identified and claimed that some of them had subsequently posted videos threatening Mr. Sanjay’s minor daughter, Mr. Nishu.

However, Delhi Police have disputed the CJP’s account of the nature of the injury and denied any political interference in the case.

Newly-appointed Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma said that on July 23, during a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar, Sanjay Kumar (38), a resident of Ghaziabad, sustained a head injury from a kada (metal bangle) worn by one of the alleged accused during a scuffle.

According to the police, Mr. Sanjay was medically examined by doctors at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and the injuries were opined to be simple in nature. The police said the injury was caused by a kada and not a weapon, and that the claim of a crack in the skull was not supported by the medical examination report.

“On his statement, a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered at PS Parliament Street,” the official said. The police said the accused were detained at the spot and that during the investigation, Suraj Kumar (24), and Swatantra Bhardwaj (21), were served notices and interrogated. A chargesheet is expected to be filed before the competent court, police said.

The DCP also rejected allegations that the investigation had been influenced or that anyone had interfered with the case, saying it has been handled in accordance with law and procedure.

The renewed dispute comes following CJP’s prolonged protest at Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and its July 20 march towards Parliament. Thousands of protesters had gathered in Delhi for the proposed march on the opening day of the Monsoon Session, with the agitation subsequently becoming a major confrontation between protesters and security personnel.

CJP members have now sought a fresh examination of the action taken in Mr. Sanjay’s case, particularly the sections invoked in the FIR and the role of others allegedly involved in the assault. Mr. Das had earlier said that the police refused to invoke attempt to murder provisions and claimed that the family had been asked to approach a court for the relevant sections.

The police, however, maintain that the medical opinion did not support the allegations of a grievous or life-threatening injury and that the investigation has proceeded strictly according to the available evidence.