CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to five-day judicial custody (IMG:X)
New Delhi: In a major development in the Jantar Mantar protest case, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have been sent to five days of judicial custody, while Ajinkya Shinde has been allowed to walk free after signing a peace bond.
The three leaders were produced before a Special Executive Magistrate on Wednesday after being detained over their alleged unauthorised entry into Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site. The action comes amid the CJP’s protest against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the removal of Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest venues.
BREAKING: Executive Magistrate sends CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to five-day judicial custody in trespassing case.
#SauravDas #cjp_पार्टी #AshutoshRanka https://t.co/FXKWYTjUNy
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) October 14, 2026
According to reports, the magistrate ordered five days of judicial custody for Das and Ranka. Shinde, meanwhile, was permitted to leave after signing a peace bond.
Delhi Police had registered a case against the three on charges that reportedly include trespassing, violating prohibitory orders, breaching a peace bond and obstructing a public servant from performing official duties.
The custody order marks a fresh escalation in the confrontation between the activists and the authorities over access to the designated protest site.
CJP legal team head Ratna Singh alleged that the leaders were brought to Parliament Street police station in a private van at around 3 am and were denied access to their lawyers for several hours.
Singh also questioned the legality of their detention. These allegations were made by the party’s legal team; the police response to the specific claims was not included in the report.
CJP co-founder Abhijeet Dipke also shared a photograph of the three leaders inside the police station, saying their spirits remained unbroken despite the detention.
The detentions come after authorities removed Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest venues. An order issued by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar on October 11 identified Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as venues for protests and demonstrations.
The CJP has criticised the decision, arguing that shifting protests away from the national capital’s political centre could reduce the visibility of public dissent.
The party is expected to discuss its next course of action following the custody order and Shinde’s release. The developments have intensified the dispute over protest restrictions as the CJP continues to raise concerns about the SIR exercise and the Election Commission.
