Delhi Court Orders Release of Cockroach Janta Party Leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka

On October 21, 2026, a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) in Delhi ordered the release of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. The magistrate accepted the sureties the duo had furnished and terminated the judicial custody that had been extended on October 19 and was set to expire that day.

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The two activists were first detained on October 13 after entering the denotified protest site of Jantar Mantar and waving the national flag. They were remanded to five days of judicial custody on October 14. After the initial term ended, the Delhi High Court declined to intervene, directing the pair to await the SEM’s decision and to approach an appellate court if dissatisfied. The High Court also queried the CJP’s purpose and noted that Das and Ranka did not belong to “Gen Z,” a generational classification used in the court’s remarks.

The Hindu

The magistrate’s earlier order described the activists’ conduct as showing “disregard for the law” and a risk to public peace, citing “habitualness” in calling for protests at denotified areas. The Delhi Police subsequently sought a further three-day extension of judicial custody, arguing that continued detention was warranted. The police request was not granted, and the SEM’s release order proceeded.

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CJP officials alleged a “deliberate delay” in the release of Das and Ranka, accusing authorities of prolonging bail proceedings and rejecting sureties. The arrests occurred amid broader demonstrations by CJP, opposition parties, and student groups demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over concerns about the Election Commission’s handling of electoral-roll revisions. The leaders maintain that their detention was excessive, contending that protesting at a denotified site is a regulatory matter, not a public-order threat.

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