CJP Leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka Sent to Judicial Custody After Jantar Mantar Entry

A Delhi magistrate on 14 October remanded Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to five days of judicial custody after they entered the Jantar Mantar complex.

Police detained the pair and several volunteers on 13 October, one day after the Ministry of Home Affairs denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. The group reached the area despite barricades. Authorities described the entry as trespass. Another CJP figure, Ajinkya Shinde, was released on a personal bond.

The denotification followed recommendations from a committee formed by the Home Ministry. Jantar Mantar has served for decades as the principal location for public demonstrations in the capital. Its removal as an authorised venue has drawn criticism from opposition parties and civil-society groups who argue that the change restricts the right to assembly.

CJP has framed its action as a protest against restrictions on public space. Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, have described the detentions as an overreach. Police maintain that the site is no longer open for protest and that entry without permission constitutes an offence. The five-day custody period will allow investigators to complete formalities before the next court date.

The case sits within a wider set of disputes over protest management in Delhi. Metro stations and train services were disrupted ahead of earlier demonstrations linked to electoral-roll revisions. Courts have deferred some related petitions. The Jantar Mantar detentions add a specific test of how strictly the new denotification will be enforced.

Das and Ranka were lodged in Tihar Jail. Their legal teams are expected to seek bail. The episode has already prompted statements from multiple political parties and is likely to feature in opposition briefings scheduled for later on 14 October.