Court Questions Caste-Related Remarks in Bharadwaj Assault Case

In the earlier hearing, the judge specifically queried the police on whether Bharadwaj used caste‑identifying language during the alleged assault. The prosecution maintained that such a claim was absent from the initial complaint and appeared only after a second recording of the complainant’s statement, prompting the addition of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Act clauses to the charge sheet.

The legal battle also involves a separate FIR under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, filed after the minor activist alleged online harassment and a threat of rape. Both FIRs now form part of the broader investigation into Bharadwaj’s conduct.