New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Sunday said authorities were deliberately delaying the release of its leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. The party alleged that court proceedings were being prolonged and bail sureties were being rejected without clear reasons.
The allegations came after Delhi Police registered a non-cognisable report over alleged threats received by the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) hearing the case.
Das and Ranka were arrested on October 13 for entering Jantar Mantar by climbing over its locked gates. This happened a day after the venue was removed as a designated protest site. They were sent to five days of judicial custody on October 14.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke accused the state of using delays to keep the two leaders in custody.
“The state is deliberately prolonging Ashu and Saurav’s illegal arrest by using every dirty trick in the book to delay court proceedings and prevent their release,” Dipke said in a post on X.
“They have no legal grounds to keep them behind bars, so they are resorting to delaying tactics to keep them there,” he added.
Hearing Delayed, Threat Claim Raised
CJP legal head Ratna Singh said the hearing, scheduled for Sunday noon, was delayed by several hours. She alleged that the magistrate and public prosecutor reached the court only around 5.30 pm, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Singh said the hearing then focused on an alleged threatening message received by the magistrate instead of the release of Das and Ranka.
“The Public Prosecutor, who failed to appear for four consecutive days, suddenly arrived today and attempted to divert the proceedings toward an alleged threatening message,” she said.
She said the party’s lawyers asked the magistrate to identify the sender and take action, but their request was not heard.
“Our lawyers have said that if someone has threatened you, you should take action against them. Put their number in the order. Tell us their name,” she said.
Singh questioned how the alleged threat was linked to the case.
“What does this have to do with Ashutosh and Saurav’s case?” she asked.
Delhi Police registered a non-cognisable report against unidentified persons over the alleged threats. Details of the message and those involved were not immediately available. Police did not respond to the CJP’s allegations.
Four Sureties Rejected
Singh also said the verification of sureties for the two leaders was delayed and four sureties were rejected on “vague” grounds. She asked why a fixed deposit receipt with a bank stamp needed further approval.
“Nothing on record with respect to verification. Nothing on record with respect to Saurav and Ashutosh,” she said.
She alleged that there was a plan to keep Das and Ranka in jail and said the case was not discussed on its merits during the hearing.
“The conspiracy that they have made , that Ashutosh and Saurav should not be released , was completely visible today. We all saw it. Today, there was no discussion on the case. There was no argument on merit,” she alleged.
“This is an illegal arrest. This is a conspiracy by the state. This is a conspiracy by the Delhi Police that they want to keep Saurav and Ashutosh in jail,” she added.
Singh said the lawyers had waited for hours after following directions from higher courts to approach the lower court first.
“When we go to the higher courts, they tell us to follow the process. Go to the lower courts. Start from the bottom. We followed everything,” she said.
CJP To Move Higher Courts
The CJP said it would approach higher courts for legal remedies, alleging deliberate obstruction and prolonged detention.
On Saturday, the CJP said it had sought advice from senior advocate Kapil Sibal and cautioned that it would pursue legal remedies if Das and Ranka remained in custody beyond Sunday.
“If Ashu and Saurav are not released by tomorrow, we will pursue legal action against all those who deliberately ensured that they continue to be in illegal custody, especially when they have not committed nor charged with any offence,” the party had said in a post on X.
“The deliberate use of delaying tactics to keep them behind bars cannot go unchallenged. Those responsible will be held accountable,” it added.
The CJP is protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying it threatens voters’ rights. It also opposes the removal of Jantar Mantar as a protest site. Party leaders said they unfurled the national flag and raised slogans at the site.