Bhardwaj’s detention comes days after he triggered a political row over his alleged role in the June 23 incident at Jantar Mantar in a podcast. He has been accused of assaulting Sanjay Kumar, the father of a student who was participating in a protest over alleged examination paper leaks.

The action comes after the pilot tested “non-negative” for a psychoactive substance in a confirmatory test, according to a preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) earlier in the day.

Heavy rain hit Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, leaving flight operations severely disrupted, with waterlogging reported across parts of the airport and over 400 flights delayed and nine diverted.