The judicial custody of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das was extended by two days today. They were arrested for entering Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, which was recently denotified as a designated protest site, by scaling its locked gates. The two were initially handed a five-day judicial custody on October 14. They were detained on October 13 and sent to five days of judicial custody the next day.
Both Ranka and Das were presented at the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) for the proceedings before being taken back to Tihar Jail.
The CJP has alleged that authorities were deliberately delaying proceedings to prevent the release of its leaders. The CJP has maintained that the two leaders entered the premises to unfurl the national flag and raise slogans, while the party has continued to challenge the decision to remove Jantar Mantar’s status as a designated protest site. Details to follow.
