A Delhi court has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of YouTuber Ajeet Bharti in a case registered under the SC/ST Act. The legal proceedings follow an FIR regarding remarks made about Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad in August 2026. Bharti has subsequently moved the Delhi High Court to challenge the trial court's order.
On September 7, 2026, the Patiala House Courts in Delhi rejected the anticipatory bail plea of YouTuber and activist Ajeet Bharti. The court’s decision stems from a legal case registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, alongside sections of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The case originates from an FIR registered on August 23, 2026, at the North Avenue police station. The complaint, filed by Balakram Bauddh, the Delhi State President of the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), alleged that remarks made by Bharti in a YouTube livestream concerning Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad were defamatory and contained derogatory references to specific communities.
During the proceedings, the court observed that the prima facie nature of the remarks, which touched upon caste-based notions of hierarchy and social status, necessitated the application of the SC/ST Act. Under Section 18 of the SC/ST Act, there is a statutory bar on the grant of anticipatory bail in matters where a prima facie case of an offense under the Act is established. Consequently, the court found insufficient grounds to grant relief to the applicant.
Following the trial court’s order, Ajeet Bharti has approached the Delhi High Court to appeal the decision. While the investigation remains ongoing, legal observers note that the case highlights the intersection of online content, political expression, and the statutory protections against caste-based harassment in India. The next update will be determined by the proceedings in the High Court, where the defense is expected to challenge the interpretation of the comments and the applicability of the charges.