CJP LEADERS’ CUSTODY HANGS IN THE BALANCE AS DELHI POLICE SEEKS THREE MORE DAYS BEHIND BARS

October 21, 2026

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 21: A Special Executive Magistrate on Wednesday reserved the order on the judicial custody of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka after the Delhi Police sought a further three-day extension of their detention.

The two leaders were produced before the magistrate during the proceedings, in which their sureties were also submitted. Their existing judicial custody was due to expire on Wednesday, leaving the question of their continued detention pending the magistrate’s decision.

Das and Ranka were initially remanded to five days of judicial custody on October 14 after being detained over allegations that they entered the denotified protest site at Jantar Mantar and violated peace bonds. Their custody was subsequently extended by two days on October 19.

The latest request by Delhi Police seeks to prolong their detention for another three days. However, with the magistrate reserving the order, no immediate decision on the extension was announced.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Delhi High Court declined to intervene in the matter of the two leaders’ judicial custody. The court asked them to await the outcome of the proceedings before the Special Executive Magistrate and indicated that they could approach the appellate court if their grievance persisted.

The developments leave the immediate future of the two CJP leaders dependent on the magistrate’s pending decision. The police are seeking additional custody, while the legal proceedings concerning their detention continue.

The case stems from the allegations surrounding the leaders’ presence at Jantar Mantar, a site that had been denotified as a designated protest venue. The allegations against Das and Ranka remain subject to the relevant legal proceedings, and the magistrate’s reserved order will determine the next stage of their custody.