Protest in Delhi: Court custody of CJP leaders extended by two days

Security personnel present outside the Mandir Marg police station ahead of the bail hearing of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-organizers Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka in New Delhi on October 19, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI

Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to judicial custody for two more days on Monday (Oct 19, 2026) after being produced before a newly appointed Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg police station in New Delhi, an official said.

Also read | CJP cites delay in release of leaders, four bails rejected

The development came amid allegations by the CJP that the bail proceedings in the case were deliberately delayed to prevent the release of his two co-organizers, who were initially sent to five-day judicial custody on October 13 after defying restrictions on a protest at Jantar Mantar.

Both were taken into custody after they allegedly climbed over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar, which was earlier designated as a designated protest site.

Along with other CJP workers, they unfurled the national flag at the spot and shouted slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar before they were detained and remanded in custody.

They were subsequently produced before a special executive judge who sent them to judicial custody.

On Monday (October 19, 2026), the police sought an extension to the judicial custody of the two leaders and the court sent them to jail for two more days, sources said.

They will now be produced on Wednesday (October 21), they said.

On Sunday (October 19), the special executive judge hearing their bail case alleged that unknown persons had threatened him, after which the police registered an unknown report.

In a post on X, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke claimed, “The state is deliberately prolonging the illegal arrest of Ash and Saurav by using every dirty trick in the book to delay the trial and prevent their release.

“They have no legal reason to keep them behind bars, so they resort to delay tactics to keep them there.”

The CJP also alleged that bail bonds for the release of its leaders were rejected on “unclear” grounds.

Published – 19 October 2026 19:33 IST