Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka Granted Bail; Bail After Seven Days in Jail

New Delhi: A Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) in Delhi on Wednesday ordered the release of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka from judicial custody after accepting the sureties they furnished, about a week after they were detained.

The two were produced before the SEM, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ritu Raj, at Mandir Marg police station as a two-day extension of their custody was due to end. Delhi Police had sought a further three-day extension, but the magistrate instead ordered their release.

Das and Ranka were detained on October 13 after allegedly climbing the barricaded gates of Jantar Mantar, which has been de-notified as a designated protest site, reportedly to unfurl the national flag. They were sent to five days of judicial custody on October 14 for allegedly breaching peace bonds they had signed earlier. On October 19, the SEM extended custody by two days.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Delhi High Court declined to interfere and told them to await the SEM hearing. The two later withdrew their plea after the court questioned its timing.

Both have been in the forefront of the protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar against the alleged irregularities in the SIR. The central government and the police have been continuously trying to hinder the protests by illegally detaining and arresting the leaders of the protest including Saurav Das, Ashutosh ranka, Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora and more.