SEVEN DAYS IN CUSTODY END AS DELHI MAGISTRATE ORDERS RELEASE OF CJP LEADERS SAURAV DAS AND ASHUTOSH RANKA
October 21, 2026
NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 21: A Special Executive Magistrate’s court in Delhi on Wednesday ordered the release of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, bringing their week-long detention to an end after police sought a further extension of their judicial custody.
The two leaders were produced before the magistrate as their existing two-day remand was due to expire. Delhi Police had requested that their custody be extended by another three days. The court, however, ordered their release after accepting the surety bonds submitted during the proceedings.
Das and Ranka had initially been sent to five days of judicial custody on October 14 following their detention over a protest at Jantar Mantar. Their custody was extended by two days on October 19 after the police raised concerns about a possible breach of peace and public tranquillity.
The case arose from an incident on October 13, when the two leaders and other CJP members allegedly entered Jantar Mantar by crossing a locked gate and passing through private premises. The location had been denotified as a designated protest site. The protesters displayed the national flag and raised slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar before police intervened and detained the group.
Police alleged that Das and Ranka had violated peace bonds they had previously signed. The party, however, challenged the legality of their continued detention and questioned the grounds on which their custody had been extended.
Earlier on Wednesday, the two leaders withdrew their petition before the Delhi High Court challenging the extension of their custody. The High Court advised them to await the outcome of the proceedings before the Special Executive Magistrate and approach the appropriate appellate forum if their grievance continued. The withdrawal took place without the court expressing an opinion on the merits of their case.
The release order followed days of legal proceedings and disputes over the acceptance of sureties. The CJP had alleged that procedural obstacles were delaying the release of its leaders, while the police maintained that their continued detention was necessary to prevent a possible disturbance of public order.
The release marks a significant development in the case, although it does not by itself resolve the broader dispute over the protest at Jantar Mantar or the allegations concerning the alleged breach of peace bonds.
The CJP has been campaigning against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise threatens voters’ rights. The party’s protest movement has drawn attention to the limits imposed on demonstrations at sites that are no longer officially designated for public protests.
With Das and Ranka ordered to be released, the immediate question of their continued detention has been resolved. The wider political and legal controversy surrounding the protest, however, remains part of the ongoing confrontation over electoral reform, public demonstrations and the exercise of political dissent.
