The Delhi High Court on Thursday (September 24, 2026) dismissed YouTuber Ajeet Bharti’s plea seeking anticipatory bail in a case concerning alleged casteist remarks against Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad.

Justice Saurabh Banerjee said a prima facie case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was made out against Mr. Bharti and noted that the legislation imposes a statutory bar on granting pre-arrest bail in such cases.

“...a case under the provisions of the SC/ST Act is prima facie made out against the applicant (Mr Bharti) and considering the statutory bar (on grant of bail) under the SC/ST Act, the present petition seeking grant of anticipatory bail is dismissed being not maintainable,” the court said.

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The court had reserved its order on September 16 after hearing arguments from Mr. Bharti’s counsel, the Delhi Police and Mr. Azad, who is also the chief of the Bhim Army.

Mr. Bharti had moved the High Court after a trial court rejected his anticipatory bail plea on September 7. Both the Delhi Police and Mr. Azad opposed his plea.

Mr. Azad had alleged in a complaint to the Delhi Police that Mr. Bharti made caste-based, abusive, derogatory and humiliating remarks against him, members of the Scheduled Caste community and B.R. Ambedkar on social media.

The FIR has been registered under provisions of the SC/ST Act, the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The detailed order is awaited.