Delhi Court Remands Cockroach Janta Party Leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka for Five Days

A Delhi court remanded Cockroach Janta Party spokespeople Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to five days of judicial custody on 14 October 2026 after police detained them for entering the restricted zone at Jantar Mantar.

The two climbed a gate at the site, which authorities have removed from the list of designated protest locations. They were protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and aspects of the electoral process, including the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls. Police described the entry as trespass into a prohibited area. The special executive magistrate court ordered the five-day remand. A third individual, Ajinkya Shinde, was also held under preventive measures.

The Cockroach Janta Party has positioned itself as a youth-led group focused on electoral integrity and anti-corruption themes. Its leaders have staged earlier actions that drew police response. Opposition figures, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, criticized the custody order. Gandhi stated that waving the national flag at Jantar Mantar in a peaceful protest is not a crime and that jailing young people for it constitutes an act of cowardice. Other INDIA bloc leaders have linked the detentions to broader concerns about protest rights and the functioning of the Election Commission.

Jantar Mantar has historically served as a central location for public demonstrations in the capital. Recent administrative changes have restricted access and removed it from the formal list of approved protest sites. Police have conducted preventive detentions ahead of planned gatherings, citing public order and criminal records of some participants. The current case centers on the physical act of climbing the gate and entering the restricted zone rather than on the content of the protest slogans.

Das and Ranka were produced before the magistrate after their detention. The five-day custody period allows police to complete formalities and any further questioning. Party supporters and some opposition voices have called the action disproportionate. Authorities maintain that the site is off-limits and that unauthorized entry triggers standard legal consequences.

The episode occurs amid ongoing political debate over electoral rolls, the powers of the Election Commission, and the space available for street protest in central Delhi. The remand decision keeps the two leaders in custody through mid-week while the larger contest over protest permissions and voter-list processes continues in courts and in public statements.

No violence was reported during the entry itself. The legal focus remains on the trespass charge and the magistrate’s decision to place the individuals in judicial rather than police custody. Further hearings will determine whether the custody is extended or the case moves to trial.