New Delhi, Oct 14: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ajinkya Shinde have been placed under preventive arrest for allegedly entering Jantar Mantar without permission, officials said on Wednesday.
The three leaders were detained early Tuesday after allegedly crossing police barricades and entering the protest site. They reportedly raised slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Jantar Mantar was recently removed from the list of designated protest venues by Delhi Police.
Delhi Police Registers Case Against CJP Leaders
According to sources, police have registered a case against the three leaders on charges that include trespassing, violating prohibitory orders, breaching a peace bond and obstructing a public servant from performing official duties.
The leaders are likely to be produced before the Special Court of the Executive Magistrate (SEM) on Wednesday morning, sources said.
Officials stated that Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das had signed a bond promising to maintain peace for one year. The bond was signed after they were detained during an earlier protest in the national capital on Saturday.
CJP Legal Team Raises Concerns Over Detention
Ratna Singh, head of the CJP legal team, claimed that the three leaders had been arrested and were being held at Parliament Street Police Station.
In a post on X, Singh alleged that the leaders were brought to the police station in a private van at around 3 am. She also claimed that they were not allowed to meet their lawyers until late at night.
Singh warned that the 24-hour period was nearing its end and said the leaders could be sent to Tihar Jail for judicial custody after being produced before the SEM.
Despite the developments, she maintained that the leaders remained determined.
Jantar Mantar Removed as Designated Protest Venue
The detentions come amid increased security in Delhi following protests by the CJP and other organisations over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 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.
Following the order, Jantar Mantar was removed from the list of officially designated protest sites.
CJP Criticises Delhi Police Decision
The CJP has criticised the decision to remove Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest venues. The party argues that shifting demonstrations away from the political centre of the national capital could reduce the visibility of public protests.
The latest detention has added to tensions surrounding demonstrations over the electoral roll revision process and restrictions on protest locations in Delhi.
The police allegations and the claims made by the CJP legal team have not been independently established in this report.
