Story perspectives

Ritu Raj Orders Release of Jantar Mantar Activists

By Drooid · Oct 22, 2026, 10:14 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

ACP Ritu Raj ordered the release of leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka on October 21, 2026.
Delhi Police detained the activists on October 13, 2026 after they entered the Jantar Mantar site and raised the tricolour.
Ritu Raj extended their custody by two days on October 19, 2026 because confidence was lacking.
Sureties were rejected for mismatched photos, prompting withdrawal of the High Court petition after Justice Prasad advised awaiting reconsideration.

History

Historical Context

During the 21-month Emergency declared on 25 June 1975, Indira Gandhi invoked Articles 352 and 356, using MISA to detain 34,988 opponents and banning groups such as the RSS. The Supreme Court’s 1976 ADM Jabalpur ruling, with Justice H.R. Khanna dissenting, upheld the crackdown. The recent arrest of activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka at Jantar Mantar echoes that security-law-based suppression.

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Story summary

ACP Ritu Raj ordered the release of leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka on October 21, 2026.
Delhi Police detained the activists on October 13, 2026 after they entered the Jantar Mantar site and raised the tricolour.
Ritu Raj extended their custody by two days on October 19, 2026 because confidence was lacking.
Sureties were rejected for mismatched photos, prompting withdrawal of the High Court petition after Justice Prasad advised awaiting reconsideration.

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