Court reserves order on Delhi Police plea to extend custody of CJP leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka
Delhi Police have sought five more days of judicial custody for the two Cockroach Janta Party leaders, arrested on October 13 for entering Jantar Mantar without permission.
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Delhi Police have sought an extension of five more days in the judicial custody of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das. The matter was heard in the SEM court on Monday, October 19, but the court has reserved its order for now.
Both leaders were arrested on October 13. Police say they entered the Jantar Mantar area without permission. After the arrest, the two were sent to five days of judicial custody. A petition seeking their release was filed in the SEM court today. The court reserved its order after hearing it. Whether the custody will be extended has not yet been decided.
Delhi Police have put forward their account of the arrests. In a statement, police said Jantar Mantar had been left out of the list of places designated for protests. Even so, on the morning of October 13, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, Ajinkya Shinde and 11 other CJP members entered the Jantar Mantar grounds from a private location. There they shouted slogans. According to police, security personnel deployed at the spot tried to stop them, but the protesters stopped the personnel and took them into custody.
According to the police statement, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde were arrested as a precaution, in view of an alleged attempt to disturb public peace and break the law. Their associate Ajinkya Shinde was released on bail in the case, on the condition that he maintain peace and good behaviour.
Meanwhile, another case has emerged during the bail hearing. On Sunday, Delhi Police registered a non-cognisable report (NCR) against unknown persons over a magistrate being threatened during the bail hearing of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.
The CJP alleges that the release of its two leaders is being delayed. The party says the guarantees of four sureties offered for bail were rejected without any substantial reason. According to Ratna Singh, head of the party's legal department, the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) told them that the magistrate had received a threatening message.
All eyes are now on the court's decision, which will determine whether the judicial custody of the two leaders is extended by five more days.
