CJP leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka ordered to be released from Tihar Jail

A Delhi Special Executive Magistrate court on Wednesday, October 21, ordered the release of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka after refusing to extend their judicial custody. The two had spent seven days in Tihar Jail following their detention over a protest at Jantar Mantar.

The order came after Delhi Police sought a further three-day extension of their custody. The court rejected the request following a hearing that lasted more than an hour and a half. The leaders were escorted out of court to complete the formalities for their release from Tihar Jail. Details of any conditions attached to their release were not immediately available.

Saurav and Ashutosh were detained on October 13 after allegedly climbing over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar, which had been denotified as a designated protest site. They unfurled the national flag and raised slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Police initiated preventive proceedings against the two, alleging that they had violated peace bonds they signed after an earlier detention at Delhi airport on October 10. Those bonds required them to maintain peace and good behaviour for one year.

On October 14, a Special Executive Magistrate remanded the two leaders to five days of judicial custody, citing their alleged breach of the bonds and their attempts to mobilise people for protests at Jantar Mantar. Their custody was subsequently extended by two days on October 19.

The CJP had alleged that authorities were deliberately delaying the leaders’ release by repeatedly raising objections to the surety documents submitted on their behalf. Delhi Police denied the allegation, saying the documents did not meet the required procedures.

Before Wednesday’s order, Saurav and Ashutosh had approached the Delhi High Court seeking relief against the extension of their custody. The High Court questioned their approach while proceedings were pending before the magistrate.