Leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) have filed a plea with the Delhi High Court contesting the legality of their ongoing judicial custody. Although they sought an urgent hearing, their case was not on the docket for Tuesday. Their legal representatives are expected to pursue a hearing on Wednesday.
As reported by LiveLaw, the leaders are challenging the extension of their detention, which they argue is unjust. This case is connected to protests organized by the CJP, which demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing alleged discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Key events related to the case include:
- On October 11, the Delhi Police revoked the authorization for Jantar Mantar as a protest site.
- This decision has been contested in both the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court.
- On October 13, Das and Ranka were seen at Jantar Mantar with the national flag.
- Their detention occurred the following day.
- A special executive magistrate subsequently ordered five days of judicial custody, citing potential peace disturbances.
- On October 19, their sureties were rejected by the magistrate due to concerns regarding their validity and identity discrepancies.
- As a result, their judicial custody was extended for an additional two days.
In response to their situation, former Odisha Chief Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik has called for their immediate release. He stated, “Jai Hind. The judicial custody of #AshutoshRanka and #SauravDas must be urgently reviewed and they must be released immediately,” in a post on X. He emphasized that holding individuals for hoisting the national flag, even in restricted areas, should not lead to extended detention and urged the judiciary and executive to preserve public faith in the rule of law and constitutional rights.
Additionally, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has criticized the situation, labeling the government’s actions as “state-sponsored terrorism” and “police-sponsored atrocities.” In her social media post, she condemned the extension of custody for Das and Ranka, asserting that such measures threaten democracy, and urged an end to the mistreatment of young people.
