CJP leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka sent to five-day judicial custody

New Delhi | Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to five-day judicial custody and lodged in Tihar Jail on Wednesday for allegedly violating their peace bonds and trespassing into Jantar Mantar, which was denotified as a protest area, police sources said.

Bail bond formalities for their associate Ajinkya Shinde are being finalised, they said.

The three were produced before the Executive Magistrate again on Wednesday morning.

They were detained early Tuesday after they allegedly breached barricades and entered the Jantar Mantar area without authorisation, raising slogans demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.

Police had registered a case against the CJP activists on charges including trespassing, violation of prohibitory orders, breach of a peace bond and obstructing a public servant from discharging official duties, sources said.

Das and Ranka had signed bonds to maintain peace for a year after being detained during a protest on Saturday, they said.

The action comes amid heightened security in the national capital following a series of protests by the CJP and other organisations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Reacting to the development, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke slammed the Central government for crushing dissent.

In an X post, he said, "Ashu and Saurav have been sent to five days' judicial custody. Their fault? Unfurling the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar." "Show some guts, @narendramodi. If you're so determined to crush dissent, have the courage to officially declare an Emergency instead of hiding behind these cowardly tactics," he posted.