CJP leaders sent to 5-day judicial custody

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to five-day judicial custody by a court today (14 October) and lodged in Delhi's maximum-security Tihar Jail for allegedly violating their peace bonds and trespassing into Jantar Mantar, which has been denotified as a protest site.

Bail bond formalities for another CJP leader, Ajinkya Shinde, are being finalised, Delhi Police sources said.

The three leaders were produced before an executive magistrate at around 8am today and subsequently sent to judicial custody.

Advocate Abhisht Hela, who is representing Das, Ranka and Shinde, questioned the grounds for sending the leaders to judicial custody and accused police of making false claims in court.

"They have been sent to five-day judicial custody based on the police's presumption that they could commit a crime. Police lied in court, claiming that they had called on people to gather there. They had not made any such call. They have not violated the bond. The separate complaint over Connaught Place has been misused here," Hela said.

Reacting to the court's order, CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde accused the government of misusing its powers to curtail people's fundamental rights.

He said Das and Ranka had accompanied him and other party volunteers to Jantar Mantar, where they waved the national flag and raised the slogan "Bharat Mata Ki Jai".

"You may know that Ashutosh, Saurav Das and I, along with CJP volunteers, went to Jantar Mantar.

"We simply waved the Indian national flag and raised the slogan 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'," Shinde said.

Accusing the Modi-Shah government of acting dictatorially, Shinde alleged that the leaders had been jailed for protesting. He also noted that Wednesday was Ranka's birthday.

"Today was Ashutosh's birthday, and on his birthday, he has been sent to jail for raising the slogan 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and waving the Tricolour," he said.

Shinde appealed to people across the country to unite against the government, alleging that the authorities were using state machinery to violate fundamental rights.

"I appeal to everyone that we must come together to bring an end to this dictatorial government," he said.

He also said the five-day judicial custody would not intimidate the party's leaders, claiming that Das and Ranka remained determined to continue their fight.

"If the government thinks that sending our two leaders, Ashutosh and Saurav, to jail for five days will frighten them, it is absolutely mistaken," Shinde said, adding that the two leaders had entered jail with their heads held high and made it clear that they would not be afraid.

They were detained yesterday (13 October) for allegedly sneaking into Jantar Mantar and raising slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The leaders were previously detained on 10 October when the CJP organised a protest demanding Kumar's resignation.

They were released after furnishing bonds of Rs 50,000 each and undertaking not to be involved in any breach-of-peace cases for a year.