New Delhi: The troubles for ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP) leaders Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka continue to mount. The Delhi Police has handed over another case against both leaders to the Crime Branch, which will now investigate all the cases registered against them. On October 13, Sourav Das and Ashutosh were taken into custody for violating regulations by hoisting the tricolour at Jantar Mantar, despite a ban on such activities.
The Delhi Police had initially detained 14 individuals, including these two leaders, from Jantar Mantar, a site that has already been excluded from the list of permitted locations for public protests. Both leaders are currently lodged in Tihar Jail, and opposition political parties have begun targeting the government over their continued detention.
14 individuals taken into custody
Security personnel stationed at Jantar Mantar took 14 people into custody, including CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Sourav Das. The Delhi Police appears to be intensifying the legal pressure on them. The two CJP leaders have filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking their release. They intend to challenge the order of the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) court, which extended their judicial custody in connection with their unauthorised entry into Jantar Mantar.
This development comes a day after the SEM court extended their judicial custody until October 21. The court remarked that their conduct demonstrates a complete lack of respect for the law, suggesting a habitual tendency to stage protests in prohibited areas—an act that is unlawful.
Why were the two leaders denied bail?
Justifying the detention, the Delhi Police stated that the two leaders have repeatedly broken the law. The police fear that if released, they might violate the law again and could even incite others to do the same. Following an investigation, the court declared the bail provided on behalf of these two leaders to be invalid. The court noted that there were discrepancies in the identification documents, and those who stood as sureties were unable to provide even basic information about the individuals for whom they had secured release.
CJP to hold no protests until Diwali
The ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ (CJP) has clarified its stance, stating that no protests will be held until Diwali. CJP founder Abhijit Deepke has urged all his supporters to celebrate Diwali with their families and to refrain from staging any protests for the time being. A future course of action will be determined after Diwali.
During protests in Delhi, Abhijit Deepke was taken into custody by the Delhi Police on two separate occasions. Both times, he was produced before a court and subsequently released after furnishing a bond.
