New Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das will remain in judicial custody for another two days after a court extended their detention in connection with their entry into Delhi’s Jantar Mantar by scaling its locked gates.
The two leaders were detained on October 13 and sent to five days of judicial custody on October 14. They were produced before a Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg police station on Monday and subsequently taken back to Tihar Jail. They are scheduled to appear again on Wednesday.
Ranka and Das were arrested after entering Jantar Mantar, which was recently denotified as a designated protest site. The CJP has maintained that the leaders entered the premises to unfurl the national flag and raise slogans, while continuing to oppose the removal of the venue’s protest site status.
CJP Alleges Deliberate Delays
The party criticised the latest extension, alleging that authorities were using procedural delays to prevent the leaders from being released.
CJP legal head Ratna Singh questioned the proceedings, claiming that no convincing arguments had been presented to establish a threat to public order or a likelihood of further disturbances. She also objected to the rejection of sureties, arguing that verification procedures alone should not be grounds for continued detention.
Singh further alleged that the proceedings had been delayed and described the handling of the case as concerning. The party has accused the authorities of misusing legal procedures to suppress its political activities.
Protest Campaign Against Election Commission
The arrests come amid the CJP’s campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The party has argued that the revision exercise threatens voters’ rights and has made it a central issue in its protests against the Election Commission.
CJP has also challenged the decision to remove Jantar Mantar’s status as a designated protest site.
Party leader Abhijeet Dipke expressed solidarity with Ranka and Das, claiming that the two remained determined despite spending several days in jail.
The party had earlier warned that it would pursue legal action against those it holds responsible if the leaders were not released. With their custody now extended until Wednesday, the case has intensified the dispute between the party and authorities over protest rights, detention procedures and access to designated demonstration sites.
