The Delhi High Court sharply criticized jailed Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka on Wednesday for attempting to forcibly breach barricades at Jantar Mantar after the site was de-notified as an official protest area.
Rebuking the petitioners’ actions, the court emphasized that “barricades have a purpose” to maintain public safety and prevent unlawful assembly. Following the stern observations from the bench, the duo chose to withdraw their plea challenging the extension of their judicial custody.
Das (27) and Ranka (32) have been in judicial custody since October 14 following allegations that they scaled locked gates at Jantar Mantar to lead a demonstration.
The legal challenge stemmed from an October 19 order by a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) extending their custody over concerns regarding public peace and safety. Reprimanding their counsel, the High Court cited global instances of violent unrest and arson, stressing that police permissions and security barriers exist specifically to keep peaceful demonstrations from being hijacked by anti-social elements.
The court also questioned why the defense bypassed the standard revisional court hierarchy before approaching the High Court, as well as the procedures followed regarding alleged bail bond violations under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Preventive action was initially initiated against the leaders on October 10 at Indira Gandhi International Airport under Sections 126 and 170 of the BNSS before they were re-arrested for the Jantar Mantar incident.
