Full Breakdown
Judicial Custody Dispute Over Cockroach Janata Party Leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
- October 13, 2026 – Das and Ranka were detained after scaling a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar, which had been de-notified as a protest site the previous day.
- October 14 – A Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) at Mandir Marg police station placed the two activists in five-day judicial custody.
- October 19 – The SEM extended their custody by two days, ordering it continue until October 21.
- October 21 – The Delhi High Court declined to intervene in the extension and suggested the activists pursue a revision petition before the SEM. Their counsel withdrew the petition. Later that day the SEM accepted personal and surety bonds (INR50,000 each) and ordered their release from Tihar Jail.
Background & Context
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) organized a “Lehra Do Tiranga” march demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged roll-revision irregularities. Jantar Mantar was removed from the list of designated protest sites on October 11 by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar. The activists had executed peace bonds on October 10 promising to maintain public peace for one year; police said the October 13 entry breached those bonds.
Official Statements & Responses
- Delhi High Court (Justice Subramonium Prasad) stressed that personal liberty is sacrosanct and that the proper remedy for the SEM’s order is a revision petition before the sessions court, not a writ under Article 226. He warned that breaking a barricade could encourage “10-20 more people” to violate prohibitory orders.
- Delhi Police, represented by Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma and standing counsel Ashish Dixit, argued the extension was needed to prevent a breach of peace. After the activists tendered an unconditional apology and pledged not to call for further protests at Jantar Mantar, the magistrate accepted the bonds and ordered release.
Data & Statistics
- Custody duration: 7 days (Oct 13 – Oct 21).
- Surety amount: INR50,000 per activist, submitted on October 21.
- Age statements in court: Das – 27 years; Ranka – reported as 31 or 32 years.
- Next hearing: October 23 at 3 pm to verify the sureties.
Criticism & Opposition
Delhi Police sought a further three-day extension, citing an “imminent threat” to public order based on prior social-media calls for protests at unauthorised sites and a purported threatening WhatsApp message to a magistrate’s predecessor.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Age of Ashutosh Ranka: Some sources list 31, others 32.
- Surety discrepancies: The SEM noted photograph and Aadhaar mismatches for one surety; other accounts mention a second surety lacking basic information about Das.
What’s Next
The SEM will submit a verification report on the sureties at the October 23 hearing. If dissatisfied, the activists may file a revision petition in the sessions court, as advised by the Delhi High Court.