New Delhi: Two leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, have been sent to Tihar Jail for five days after a court ordered their remand in connection with an alleged breach of peace bonds and unauthorised entry into Jantar Mantar.
The two leaders were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday after allegedly crossing barricades and entering the area, which had recently been withdrawn as an officially designated protest site. They were produced before the Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg on Wednesday morning, following which they were remanded to five days of judicial custody.
According to police sources, a case was registered against the CJP activists over allegations that included trespassing, violating prohibitory orders, breaching peace bonds and obstructing public servants from performing their duties.
Police sources stated that Das and Ranka had earlier signed bonds undertaking to maintain peace for one year following their detention during a protest over the weekend.
The latest action follows heightened tensions in the national capital, where CJP members and other groups have been protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Reacting to the custody order, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke criticised the Central government, alleging that the action was an attempt to suppress dissent. In a post on social media platform X, he questioned why the two leaders had been sent to jail after raising the Indian national flag at Jantar Mantar.
The party has maintained that its members were protesting against the government and the Election Commission. The allegations and the party’s claims remain distinct from the legal proceedings concerning the alleged violations.
Another CJP leader, Ajinkya Shinde, who was detained alongside Das and Ranka, was reportedly being processed for release on a personal bond, according to reports.
The case has drawn attention amid continuing political demonstrations over the SIR exercise and demands for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner. The five-day judicial custody of Das and Ranka marks a fresh development in the ongoing dispute over protests at Jantar Mantar.
