{
  "id": 5569648,
  "title": "Influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj detained after 'bragging' he 'cracked the skull' of CJP protester's father",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/influencer-swatantra-bhardwaj-detained-after-bragging-he-cracked-the",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-04T13:45:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Mint",
    "slug": "live-mint",
    "url": "https://www.livemint.com/news/india/influencer-swatantra-bhardwaj-detained-after-claiming-he-cracked-skull-of-nishu-azad-father-11788527914291.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj, known for his hardline Hindu views, has been detained in Uttar Pradesh following his alleged assault on Nishu Azad's father, Sanjay Azad, during a protest at Jantar Mantar. The 21-year-old influencer had initially boasted about cracking Sanjay's skull and escaping jail, which went viral and sparked protests by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). Bhardwaj claims self-defense and has video evidence to support his assertion.",
  "summary": "Swatantra Bhardwaj is accused of attacking Nishu Azad's father, Sanjay Azad, during a CJP protest in July. After the attack, Bhardwaj, who describes himself as a 'Kattar Hindu (hardline Hindu)', admitted to 'cracking the skull' of Sanjay in a podcast.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV",
        "title": "\"Cracked His Skull\" Was Not All. Far-Right Influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj's Vitriol Spanned Hour-Long Podcast",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/cracked-his-skull-was-not-all-far-right-influencer-swatantra",
        "published": "2026-09-04T15:54:59.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}