The Delhi High Court has denied immediate relief to jailed CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, questioning their counsel before allowing them to withdraw their plea.
Published: October 21, 2026, 4:32 PM IST
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CJP Leaders at Parliament Street Police Station (IANS)
New Delhi: Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka failed to secure immediate relief from the Delhi High Court on Wednesday regarding the extension of their judicial custody. A single-judge Bench led by Justice Subramonium Prasad sharply questioned their counsel over assembling at Jantar Mantar without permission and circumventing the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) court. Confronted with the court’s stern observations, the petitioners ultimately chose to withdraw their plea.
During the hearing, Justice Prasad reprimanded the activists for approaching the High Court directly while their case was scheduled before the SEM court later that afternoon. The Bench observed that the leaders should wait for the magistrate’s 2 PM order before pursuing appropriate legal remedies. Following the court’s suggestion to keep their legal options open, the counsel for Das and Ranka withdrew the petition challenging the extension of their custody in the Jantar Mantar trespassing case.
Read more:
Delhi High Court likely to hear Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka’s plea against judicial custody today
The Delhi High Court said while addressing Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, “You have broken the bond; you are individuals who have violated the bondCan insisting on the terms of the bond be so illegal? You went to Jantar Mantar without permission after the denotificationThe petition challenging the denotification is pending in the Supreme Court, but it has not been stayedYou are at the forefront; when you break the barricade, a large number of others are likely to do the same.”
High Court questions ‘Generation Z claim’
The High Court asked, “Are you GenZ?” After asking their age, the court remarked to Sourav and Ashutosh that they were not GenZThe Delhi High Court suggested to Das and Ranka’s lawyers that they could withdraw the petition and await a hearing in the SEM Court today.
What is the case against CJP leaders?
Das and Ranka, along with CJP member Ajinkya Shinde, were among 14 people detained on October 13 after they allegedly entered Jantar Mantar through private premises and obstructed police personnel from discharging their official duties.
The CJP members were protesting against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and had raised slogans against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh KumarDelhi Police had justified their continued custody, citing repeated violations of law and apprehensions that their release could lead to further violations and instigation of others.
(With inputs from agencies)
