The bail hearing of Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka was delayed on Sunday because the special executive magistrate did not arrive at the scheduled time, activist Ratna Singh said, according to news agency Press Trust of India.
Singh also alleged that four people who had offered surety for the two leaders were rejected on vague grounds. Das and Ranka were sent to five days of judicial custody on October 14 after entering Jantar Mantar, which was no longer a designated protest site, by scaling its locked gates.
The CJP leaders said they had unfurled the national flag and raised slogans at the site.
In a post on X, Singh said she had been at the Mandir Marg police station since 11 am for the hearing scheduled at noon. She said the assistant commissioner of police, who was acting as the special executive magistrate, had not arrived by 4.42 pm.
“This is really concerning. They have rejected four sureties till now on vague reasons,” Singh said. She alleged that people facing police cases for participating in protests were being treated as having criminal records.
Police did not respond to the allegations, PTI reported.
In another post, Singh said, “Unfurling the Indian National Flag is not a crime, and the boys should not remain in custody due to procedural delays.”
Questioning the functioning of special executive magistrate courts in Delhi, Singh said higher courts had asked the authorities to follow the proper hierarchy. She also alleged an “absolute misuse of power”.
On Saturday, the CJP said in a post on X that it had consulted senior advocate Kapil Sibal and warned of legal action if Das and Ranka were not released by Sunday.
“If Ashu and Saurav are not released by tomorrow, we will pursue legal action against all those who deliberately ensured that they continue to be in illegal custody, especially when they have not committed nor charged with any offence,” the group said.
“The deliberate use of delaying tactics to keep them behind bars cannot go unchallenged. Those responsible will be held accountable,” it added.
The CJP has been protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise threatens voters' rights. The bail hearing of Das and Ranka remained delayed on Sunday amid Singh's allegations over the rejection of sureties and the absence of the special executive magistrate.
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