CJP Alleges Delay in Release of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has alleged that the release of its leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka was being delayed in Delhi. Ratna Singh, a member of the party’s legal team, said a bail hearing set for Sunday did not begin on time because the presiding officer, an Assistant Commissioner of Police acting as Special Executive Magistrate, had not arrived by late afternoon, and that four sureties were rejected on vague grounds, PTI reported. Police did not respond to the allegations.

The two leaders were sent to five days’ judicial custody on October 14 after entering Jantar Mantar by climbing its locked gates during a protest, and stayed in custody because sureties were not available at the time, their legal team said. The party consulted senior advocate Kapil Sibal and warned of legal action if they were not released on Sunday, Telangana Today and Dainik Jagran reported. At the time of writing, their release had not been confirmed.

Read IPB’s earlier reports on the release of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and India’s response to a UN expert’s report on youth protests.

Based on reporting by PTI via ThePrint, Telangana Today and Dainik Jagran.

Image: Jantar Mantar, New Delhi / Wikimedia Commons.