Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ajinkya Shinde have been placed under preventive arrest for allegedly entering the Jantar Mantar area without authorisation, officials said on Wednesday. The three were detained early Tuesday after allegedly breaching barricades at the recently denotified protest site and raising slogans demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.
Police have registered a case against them on charges including trespassing, violating prohibitory orders, breaching a peace bond and obstructing a public servant from performing official duties, according to a PTI report. Ranka and Das had signed a bond to maintain peace for a year after being detained during a protest in the national capital on Saturday, officials said.
The three are likely to be produced before the Special Court of the Executive Magistrate later on Wednesday morning, sources told news agency ANI. The arrests come amid heightened security in the capital following protests by the CJP and other organisations over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
On October 11, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar issued an order designating Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as venues for protests and demonstrations. Jantar Mantar was subsequently denotified as a designated protest site. The CJP has criticised the decision, saying that moving demonstrations away from the capital's political centre would reduce the visibility of public dissent.
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Why Were Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka Detained?
On October 13, CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by police after they reached Jantar Mantar despite heavy barricading and a strong security presence. In a post on X, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said other team members, including Ajinkya Shinde, had also been detained. "Cockroaches with the Tiranga sneaked into Jantar Mantar early this morning before they were picked up by Delhi Police," Dipke said.
He said Ranka, Das and Shinde, along with other team members, have been detained. "You cannot denotify the resistance," Dipke said, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Dipke also shared a video showing CJP members jumping over a gate to enter Jantar Mantar and raising slogans like "Bharat Mata ki Jai". Police personnel were seen rushing to grab them.
CJP members said they had entered Jantar Mantar to assert their right to protest at the designated site and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. "Jantar Mantar has been breached. The resignation of Gyanesh Kumar will happen at Jantar Mantar. Do what you can," Ranka said.
Das also flashed a copy of the Constitution and said, "Constitution is with us."
The CJP members raised slogans of "Bharat Mata ki Jai", "Inquilab Zindabad" and "Jai Bhim". They also recited the revolutionary poem "Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna" and raised slogans against the authorities. In a statement, the CJP described its action as reclaiming Jantar Mantar, saying that its members had entered the heavily barricaded protest site and hoisted the Tricolour there.
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