RELEASED FROM JAIL, BACK BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE: CJP LEADERS FACE FRESH QUESTIONING IN JANTAR MANTAR PROTEST CASE
October 23, 2026
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka appeared before a Special Executive Magistrate at Delhi’s Mandir Marg police station on Friday in connection with cases arising from their protest at Jantar Mantar. The appearance came two days after their release from judicial custody, as the police continued investigating the allegations against the activists.
According to police sources, Das and Ranka were questioned in connection with two separate cases registered against them. Their appearance before the magistrate followed a summons issued by the Crime Branch, which had also called CJP activist Ajinkya Shinde to its Rajouri Garden office on Thursday, October 22. None of the three appeared at the scheduled time, seeking additional time to join the investigation. Police subsequently indicated that fresh notices would be issued.
The latest development follows a prolonged dispute over the detention of the two CJP leaders after a protest at Jantar Mantar, which had been denotified as a designated protest site. On October 13, Das, Ranka, Shinde and other party members allegedly entered the area by crossing a locked gate and displayed the national flag while raising slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Delhi Police detained the activists and registered cases involving allegations including trespass, obstruction of public servants and violations of peace bonds. Das and Ranka were initially remanded to five days of judicial custody on October 14, with their custody subsequently extended by another two days on October 19.
On October 21, Special Executive Magistrate Ritu Raj ordered their release after accepting personal bonds and sureties of ₹50,000 each. The bonds will remain valid until the conclusion of the inquiry. The release was conditional on written undertakings that the activists would not breach the peace or stage protests at Jantar Mantar while the site remained denotified.
The magistrate observed that further detention was not necessary at that stage, particularly in view of the written undertakings submitted by the two leaders. The decision came after Delhi Police sought an additional three days of judicial custody, citing concerns about possible disturbances and alleged discrepancies between the activists’ statements before the court, their subsequent remarks to the media and their written responses.
The matter had also reached the Delhi High Court, where Das and Ranka challenged the extension of their custody. On October 21, the High Court declined to intervene while the magistrate was examining the case. The leaders subsequently withdrew their petition after the court indicated that a revision petition could be an appropriate remedy if their grievance remained unresolved. The withdrawal was permitted without any ruling on the merits of their allegations.
Following their release, Das and Ranka appeared in a video shared on social media by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, holding the national flag and raising slogans including “Inquilab Zindabad”, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Gyanu must go”. The slogans reiterated the party’s demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s removal as Chief Election Commissioner.
The continuing proceedings have brought renewed attention to the dispute over access to Jantar Mantar as a venue for political demonstrations. The CJP has argued that peaceful protest is a constitutional right, while the police have maintained that the activists entered a denotified site without authorisation and allegedly obstructed officers performing their duties.
With the latest appearance before the Special Executive Magistrate and the police investigation continuing, the legal proceedings remain unresolved. The case raises questions about the regulation of public demonstrations, the enforcement of preventive peace bonds and the balance between maintaining public order and protecting the right to political dissent.
