Police teams traced Bhardwaj to the district and detained him near Dhamra Nara village.
He had reportedly left Naithla village on a motorcycle before police could apprehend him during an earlier attempt.
His detention follows renewed attention to the case after a podcast clip surfaced in which Bhardwaj allegedly spoke about the assault on Sanjay Kumar, father of student protester Nishu Azad.
The case dates back to a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest against alleged examination paper leaks at Jantar Mantar on June 23.
Delhi Police said Kumar sustained a head injury during a confrontation at the demonstration.
What happened at the Jantar Mantar protest?
According to the FIR, Kumar was recording the protest on his mobile phone when an argument broke out over the filming.
The complaint alleged that the dispute escalated after two or three other men joined the confrontation and assaulted him.
Kumar told police that he was punched on the head and struck with a hard object resembling an iron bangle.
He was subsequently taken to RML Hospital, where doctors documented two lacerated wounds on his head.
Delhi Police registered a case against Bhardwaj and Suraj Kumar under Sections 115(2), 126(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police have rejected claims that Kumar suffered a skull fracture.
According to the police, his medical report classified the injuries as simple and did not substantiate more serious claims made subsequently.
Podcast clip puts case back in spotlight
The case gained fresh attention after a podcast clip emerged in which Bhardwaj appeared to claim that he had “cracked” Kumar’s skull and that the victim had received around 60 stitches.
“Do you know which section this crime attracts? Section 307, attempt to murder. He was almost dying in the ambulance,” Bhardwaj was heard saying in the clip.
He also claimed that he had not been jailed and suggested that he had political connections.
The remarks led the CJP and Opposition parties to demand action against him.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned why Bhardwaj had not been jailed and alleged that he was being protected politically.
Delhi Police denied allegations of political interference and maintained that the investigation had been carried out in accordance with legal procedure.
Political pressure mounts on police
CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, along with Congress representatives and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad, approached the Parliament Street police station and sought action against Bhardwaj.
Following discussions that lasted around two hours, police added provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to the case, according to an India Today report.
Police also agreed to seek a further medical opinion before determining whether an attempt-to-murder charge should be added.
The viral podcast clip is also expected to form part of the investigation.
Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said police had assured the delegation that Bhardwaj would be arrested within 72 hours.
The assurance also covered alleged online threats against Nishu Azad.
Bhardwaj maintains he acted in self-defence
Bhardwaj has denied deliberately attacking Kumar and maintained that he acted in self-defence after being surrounded by between 10 and 15 people.
“What people are calling an attack was an act of self-defence. If I had not acted in self-defence, I could have been lynched by the mob or killed,” he said.
Bhardwaj also claimed that he had video evidence to support his version of events.
He further alleged that the podcast clip circulated by Rahul Gandhi and others was “fake” and denied receiving any political protection.
Police are now expected to question Bhardwaj over the alleged assault, his remarks in the podcast and claims concerning political influence.