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CJP Leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka detained
New Delhi: Fresh allegations have emerged against the Delhi Police after Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained during a renewed attempt to enter Jantar Mantar and protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The party has alleged that the detained activists were not allowed to meet their lawyers and that their mobile phones were taken away.
CJP's legal affairs head, Ratna Singh, raised the allegations on social media, questioning the legal basis for the detention and the reported denial of access to legal representatives.
In a post on X, Singh alleged that the station house officer of Jaffarpur Kalan police station had refused to let a lawyer meet the detained activists. She also claimed their phones had been confiscated.
Today morning @SauravDassss, @AshutoshRanka and @AjinkyaCJP, along with other leaders, were detained by Delhi Police for waving National Flag at Jantar Mantar.
Now the SHO of Jaffarpur Kalan police station has refused to let the lawyer meet them, while their phones have been confiscated, raise serious concerns.
Under what legal authority are they being detained and why is their lawyer being denied access?
@Cockroachisback
— Ratna Singh (@whattalawyer) October 13, 2026
Singh questioned the legal authority under which the activists were being held and why they were allegedly being denied access to their lawyers.
The claims had not been independently verified at the time of reporting. The Delhi Police's response to the latest allegations was not immediately available.
The detention came after CJP leaders attempted to enter Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, October 13, by climbing over its locked gates. The activists, including Das, Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde, were seeking to stage a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Delhi Police detained CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka after they breached barricades at Jantar Mantar and took them away in a police bus. A video featuring both leaders has been released following their detention.
#CJP #JantarMantar #DelhiPolice @abhijeet_dipke @AshutoshRanka @SauravDassss @Cockroachisback
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) October 13, 2026
A video shared by Ranka showed the activists climbing over the gates before police personnel intervened and took them into custody. Das later described the action as an attempt to reclaim the protest site.
The development came a day after the Delhi Police removed Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest venues. The authorities have identified Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as alternative designated sites for demonstrations.
The latest incident follows the detention of CJP leaders earlier this month. After their release, Das and Ranka had alleged that police seized their phones, failed to provide proper documentation and denied them access to lawyers.
Watch: Delhi Police have detained a few protesters, including CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, from Jantar Mantar.
#JantarMantar @AshutoshRanka @SauravDassss @Cockroachisback https://t.co/HbZ2AoJjbv
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) October 13, 2026
They had also expressed concerns that their devices might have been tampered with, although no independent evidence had established those suspicions.
The activists' renewed attempt to enter Jantar Mantar has intensified the dispute over access to protest venues and the conditions under which demonstrations can be held in the national capital.
Jantar Mantar has been at the centre of CJP's campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The group's supporters have argued that the venue is an important public space for peaceful demonstrations, while the latest police action follows the removal of its designated protest-site status.
The latest allegations have added another dimension to the standoff, shifting attention to the treatment of detained protesters and their access to legal assistance.
The situation remains under scrutiny as questions over the detentions, the alleged seizure of phones and the reported denial of legal access await further clarification.
