Leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were placed in Delhi's Tihar Jail on Wednesday after being remanded to five days of judicial custody for breaking peace bonds and entering Jantar Mantar, which has been designated as a protest site, according to police.
Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) Mahesh Kumar Meena stated in his ruling that the leaders' prior actions demonstrated that they had disregarded legitimate orders from the government. He pointed out that they had signed bonds to uphold harmony and good behavior for a year, but they reportedly broke them after being freed by posting calls for protest on social media and trying to organize people at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, October 10.
The magistrate issued notices remanding both leaders to judicial custody for five days in accordance with Section 130 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). According to police, Ajinkya Shinde, another CJP leader, was released on a personal bond and a Rs 5,000 surety after being compelled to uphold peace and good behavior for six months.
THE MAGISTRATE'S ORDER IS HERE IN FULL.
Respondents 1) Mr. Saurav Das, 27, and 2) Mr. Ashutosh Ranka, 30, are brought before this court while under police custody. They were both given a thorough hearing and informed of their rights as incarcerated individuals. They were given an explanation of their constitutional rights as accused in Hindi, which they could all understand. Both responders receive a complimentary copy of Kalandra. I have read the Kalandra and other documents that are on file.
SI Mohit Bhati, No. D-6556, the complainant, appeared in court. According to the Investigating Officer, information was received indicating that on October 13, 2026, some CJP employees, led by Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, could disrupt the law and order situation at Jantar Mantar, which is no longer a recognized protest site. In this sense, sufficient security measures were taken. The personnel assigned to make the preparations received the necessary training and were told to be watchful.
Additionally, these individuals had made several posts on social media encouraging people to congregate. Some individuals, including CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, leaped from the JDU Office grounds at around nine in the morning and made it to Jantar Mantar. They started making noise and shouting slogans. With the staff's assistance, they were challengingly brought under control.
Even before this occurrence, on October 10, 2026, the CJP announced a protest call at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi via social media without getting authorization from the Delhi Police authorities. There were also suggestions that the CJP members might carry on with their demonstrations and establish law and order. Since the aforementioned CJP members were anticipated to arrive by plane to take part in the planned demonstration, a police squad was stationed at IGI Airport, Terminal-3, New Delhi, on October 10, 2026.
The aforementioned accused individuals and Abhijeet Dipke arrived at the airport at approximately 10:45 a.m. They allegedly turned confrontational and belligerent when the police team asked them to cooperate and uphold law and order. Following that, Abhijeet Dipke and the aforementioned accused were captured and brought to the relevant police offices or units for any additional necessary action. They are all still determined to encourage the people to participate in the unlawful demonstration.
In light of the suspicion of a breach of peace, preventative action under Section 126/170 BNSS was therefore started on October 11, 2026, against the aforementioned accused individuals as well as Abhijeet Dipke. Along with Abhijeet Dipke, the aforementioned accused individuals acknowledged their error. They filled out surety bonds and personal bonds worth Rs 50,000 each to maintain harmony and good behavior in the community.
"They are bound to keep peace in the area for a period of one year from the date of order," the SEM Court stated in its ruling. But as soon as they were freed, the aforementioned leaders started calling for protests at the de-notified Jantar Mantar protest site via various platforms and social media. They also started conducting news conferences to encourage people to visit Jantar Mantar.
Respondents Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das continued to make videos in violation of the law on October 13, 2026, despite being repeatedly told to stop. They also continued to encourage people to visit Jantar Mantar. SI Mohit Bhati, the complainant, claimed that after conducting a thorough investigation, they discovered that all of the respondents were hostile and unrepentant.
Arguments were heard. The IO has also disclosed that the accused individuals' recordings, which they created and shared on social media, were given to Kalandara on a pen drive. In these videos, the accused individuals are depicted as hostile and insistent. Additionally, according to the IO, FIR Nos. 128/26 and 289/26 have been filed at PS Parliament Street and PS Connaught Place, respectively, for the accused individuals' illegal actions.
Both accused individuals' prior behavior demonstrates that they disregarded the authorities' legal orders. Both accused individuals' current behavior indicates that they are likely to disturb the area's peace and tranquility. According to the information in the file, it is necessary that the aforementioned respondents have violated the bond/bail bond once more after executing one for maintaining peace in accordance with a SEM South West order under Section 136 BNSS. This is clear from their behavior, social media posts, and the complainant's statement. Therefore, I, Mahesh Kumar Meena, SEM, New Delhi, am confident that there are enough reasons to take legal action against the respondents.
As a result, it is now mandated that respondents 1) Saurav Das and 2) Ashutosh Ranka get notice under Section 130 BNSS. The respondents are placed under judicial custody for a term of five (five) days in order to preserve public peace and order, as no solid assurance has yet been shown. List the issue for further investigation on October 19, 2026.
