New Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS) Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka are scheduled to be produced before the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) at 2 p.m. on Monday, as their five-day judicial custody in connection with the Jantar Mantar trespassing case ends.
According to CJP’s legal affairs head, Ratna Singh, the two leaders are due to be produced before the SEM after the expiry of their judicial custody, with her expressing hope that there would be no further delays in the proceedings.
“I sincerely hope there will be no further delays — no IO switching off phone for hours, no threatening messages, no hearing at 6 PM, no tyre puncture to be not able to produce them. Basically no ‘Upar se orders’,” Singh said in a post on X.
Das and Ranka were sent to five-day judicial custody on October 14 by a Special Executive Magistrate after they were detained for allegedly trespassing at Jantar Mantar, which has been de-notified as the designated protest site.
The two CJP leaders, along with party member Ajinkya Shinde, were among 14 people detained on October 13 after they allegedly entered the protest site through private premises and obstructed police personnel from discharging their official duties.
Delhi Police had said the custody order was passed in view of their alleged repeated violations of law and the apprehension that, if released, they would again violate the law and instigate others to do the same.
Shinde was released on a personal bond and directed to maintain peace and good behaviour for six months.
The CJP members were protesting against the Election Commission of India (ECI) over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and had raised slogans against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Earlier, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, along with Das and Ranka, had been released in connection with the October 10 protest after furnishing a bond of Rs 50,000 and on the condition that they would not be involved in any breach-of-peace cases for a year.
Advocate Abhisht Hela, representing the CJP leaders, had questioned the order sending Das and Ranka to judicial custody, alleging that the authorities had disregarded the law laid down by the Supreme Court.
“The laws laid down by the Supreme Court have been completely disregarded,” Hela had told IANS, alleging that the order was passed without the application of the judicial mind.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police had said that Jantar Mantar was de-notified as a designated protest site on October 12 under new guidelines issued through Delhi Police Standing Order No. L&O/48/2026. Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi were designated as alternative protest venues.
–IANS
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