Cockroach Janata Party Leaders Sent to Five Days Judicial Custody After Jantar Mantar Protest

A Special Executive Magistrate in Delhi sent Cockroach Janata Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to five days of judicial custody on Wednesday, 14 October 2026. The two had been detained the previous day after they and other members of the group breached the de-notified Jantar Mantar protest site. A third leader, Ajinkya Shinde, was released on a personal bond.

Delhi Police stated that the leaders obstructed officers and used social media to instigate further action. Opposition parties criticised the arrests. Rahul Gandhi described the decision as an attempt to reclaim a public space that belongs to the people of India. Other opposition figures called the move an overreach by the Centre.

The Cockroach Janata Party is a youth-oriented group that has organised protests against government policies. Jantar Mantar has long served as a designated protest site in the capital, though authorities have restricted access at various times. The current de-notification and the subsequent breach produced the custody order.

Five days is a short period of judicial custody. The leaders will be produced again before the magistrate at the end of that term. Police have not indicated whether they will seek further remand or file formal charges that could extend the process. The personal bond for Shinde suggests the court distinguished among the individuals based on their specific roles at the site.

The episode occurs amid broader political activity in Delhi, including scheduled Supreme Court hearings on citizenship, liquor-sale age checks, and other matters. Opposition parties have used the arrests to argue that protest space is being narrowed. Government supporters have described the action as enforcement of existing restrictions on the site.

For the Cockroach Janata Party the custody order interrupts its immediate organising capacity in the capital. The group has previously staged demonstrations that drew media attention. How it responds after the five days will depend on whether the leaders are released or face additional proceedings. The site itself remains under police control.

The practical outcome on Wednesday was the transfer of two leaders to Tihar Jail for the custody period and the release of the third. No large-scale violence was reported at the time of the breach. The political argument over the legitimacy of the restriction and the response will continue in statements from both the government and the opposition.