Story perspectives

Delhi court grants regular bail to influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj

By Drooid · Oct 6, 2026, 6:47 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Delhi court granted regular bail to influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj on October 6, 2026.
Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler issued the bail order.
He had earlier granted Bhardwaj three weeks’ interim bail on September 15, 2026 with strict conditions.
Conditions barred Bhardwaj from posting about the case, contacting the complainant, his daughter, witnesses, or tampering evidence.
He was arrested in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh on September 4, 2026 and faces assault, SC/ST Act and POCSO charges.

History

Historical Context

On 24 March 2015 the Supreme Court, in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India, struck down Section 66A of the IT Act—a provision that allowed imprisonment of up to three years for “offensive” online messages—and read down Section 79. The decision, authored by Justices Nariman and Chelameswar, set a precedent that Delhi judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler cited when granting bail to influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj on similar free-speech grounds.

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Story summary

Delhi court granted regular bail to influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj on October 6, 2026.
Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler issued the bail order.
He had earlier granted Bhardwaj three weeks’ interim bail on September 15, 2026 with strict conditions.
Conditions barred Bhardwaj from posting about the case, contacting the complainant, his daughter, witnesses, or tampering evidence.
He was arrested in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh on September 4, 2026 and faces assault, SC/ST Act and POCSO charges.

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