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 recently denotified as a designated protest site, police sources said.
Their associate Ajinkya Shinde's bail bond formalities were being finalised, the sources said. The three were produced before the Executive Magistrate on Wednesday morning, a day after they were detained for allegedly breaching barricades and entering the area without authorisation.
Reacting to the development, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke criticised the Central government, alleging that it was crushing dissent.
"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 on X.
Lawyer accuses police of making false claims
Advocate Abhisht Hela, who represents Das, Ranka and Shinde, questioned the grounds for sending the two leaders to judicial custody and accused police of making false claims in court.
"They have been sent to 5-day judicial custody because of the presumption of the Police that they can commit a crime. Police lied in Court that they had given a call urging people to come there."
"They had not given any call. They have not violated the bond. The separate complaint over Connaught Place has been misused here," Hela said.
Shinde also accused the government of misusing its powers to curtail fundamental rights. He said the CJP leaders and party volunteers had gone to Jantar Mantar, waved the national flag and raised the slogan 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.
"Today was Ashutosh’s birthday, and on his birthday, he has been sent to jail for raising the slogan of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and waving the Tricolour," he said.
"I appeal to everyone that we must come together to bring an end to this dictatorial government," Shinde said.
"If the government thinks that sending our two leaders, Ashutosh and Saurav, to jail for five days will frighten them, it is absolutely mistaken," he added.
Case over entry into denotified protest site
Police 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 their detention during a protest on Saturday.
On October 11, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar issued an order designating Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as venues for protests and demonstrations, following which Jantar Mantar was denotified as a designated protest site.
The CJP has criticised the move, arguing that shifting demonstrations away from the political centre of the national capital would weaken the visibility of public dissent.
The detentions came amid heightened security in Delhi following protests by the CJP and other organisations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.