New Delhi, October 20, 2026: Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), has shared a photograph of party co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka amid continuing legal proceedings over their detention following a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
The photograph and accompanying message highlight the two leaders’ determination as they remain in custody. Dipke’s public statements have emphasised that their detention would not discourage the movement or force its members to abandon their principles.
Das and Ranka were detained on October 13 after allegedly entering Jantar Mantar by climbing over a locked gate. The protest was linked to the party’s opposition to the removal of Jantar Mantar’s designated protest-site status and its campaign concerning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
On October 19, a Special Executive Magistrate extended their judicial custody by another two days, despite the legal team’s request for their release. The two leaders were scheduled to be produced before the magistrate again on October 21.
Dipke has publicly criticised the handling of the proceedings and alleged that the release process was being deliberately delayed. These claims represent the party’s position and have not been independently established.
The latest development has drawn attention to the continuing dispute between the CJP leadership and authorities over the protest and the circumstances surrounding the two leaders’ detention.
