Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have been remanded to five days of judicial custody and lodged in Tihar jail for allegedly entering Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site without authorisation, while Ajinkya Shinde was allowed to leave after signing a peace bond.
The three were produced before the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) on Wednesday. Police also maintained that they had violated a bond previously signed by the accused before a Special Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantt Police Station on Sunday, in which they had undertaken not to disturb public peace. Earlier, CJP has claimed that its co-convenors, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, have formally been arrested by Delhi Police following the breach at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday morning.
The magistrate ordered Das and Ranka to remain in judicial custody for five days, while Shinde was permitted to leave. “They were not allowed to meet their lawyers till late at night. Ranka shared a video of the incident on X, showing him, Das and the outfit’s national organisation in-charge, Ajinkya Shinde, climbing over the locked gates and entering the venue. Police personnel present at the site subsequently intervened and apprehended them. Ranka also displayed the Tricolour at the venue before Delhi Police detained the CJP leaders.
Advocate Abhisht Hela, representing the CJP leaders, said Delhi Police argued that the two had urged people to gather at Jantar Mantar, thereby committing criminal trespass. Hela further said the police told the magistrate that there was a presumption that the accused “might commit crime” if released. Delhi Police registered a case against the three leaders on charges including trespassing, violating prohibitory orders, breaching a peace bond, and obstructing a public servant from performing official duties, according to sources. She had also claimed that there was a possibility of “judicial custody in Tihar Jail” after the CJP leaders were produced before the SCM court. They were brought to Parliament Street PS at 3 AM in a private van,” climed Singh, adding, “Despite these illegal actions, their spirits are high,” Singh added.
