CJP's Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka sent to Tihar jail for 5 days, Ajinkya Shinde let off

Three CJP leaders were detained after allegedly entering Jantar Mantar without authorisation. Police have registered a case against them, while the party's legal team has alleged illegal detention and denial of access to lawyers.

In Short

• Police booked the trio for trespassing and obstructing a public servant
• Ranka and Das had earlier signed year-long bonds to maintain peace
• Ratna Singh alleged lawyers were denied access until late at night

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to Tihar Jail for five days for allegedly violating their peace bonds and trespassing into Jantar Mantar, which was recently denotified as a designated protest site, police sources said. Their associate Ajinkya Shinde has been allowed to walk out after signing a peace bond.

The three were produced before the court of the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) on Wednesday. While Das and Ranka were sent to judicial custody, Shinde was allowed to leave after completing the bond formalities.

The CJP is set to hold a meeting to decide its future course of action following the detentions, amid its protest over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site.

Delhi Police had registered a case against the three on charges including trespassing, violating prohibitory orders, breaching a peace bond and obstructing a public servant from discharging official duties, sources said.

Reacting to the development, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke slammed the government for crushing dissent. In an X post, he said, "Ashu and Saurav have been sent to five days' judicial custody. Their fault? Unfurling the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar."

"Show some guts, @narendramodi. If you're so determined to crush dissent, have the courage to officially declare an Emergency instead of hiding behind these cowardly tactics," he posted.

Earlier, Dipke shared a photograph of Shinde, Ranka and Das inside the Parliament Street police station on X, saying their spirits remained unbroken despite the detention.

PEACE BOND SIGNED AFTER EARLIER DETENTION

Ranka and Das had signed bonds undertaking to maintain peace for a year after they were detained during a protest in Delhi on Saturday, officials said.

However, CJP legal team head Ratna Singh claimed that the three had been arrested and were being held at Parliament Street police station.

In a post on X, Singh alleged that they were brought to the police station in a private van at 3 am and were not allowed to meet their lawyers until late at night.

She said the 24-hour period was nearing its end and claimed the three could be sent to judicial custody at Tihar Jail after being produced before the SEM. “Despite these illegal actions, their spirits are high,” Singh wrote, alleging that the authorities had acted unlawfully.

JANTAR MANTAR DENOTIFIED AS PROTEST SITE

The detentions come amid heightened security in the national capital following protests by the CJP and other organisations over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and authorities denotifying Delhi's Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site.

On October 11, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar issued an order designating Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as venues for protests and demonstrations. The order effectively removed Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest sites.

The CJP has criticised the decision, arguing that moving demonstrations away from the national capital’s political centre would reduce the visibility of public dissent.

- Ends
With inputs from Arvind Ojha and agency