CJP accuses Delhi authorities of delaying bail for Ranka, Saurav Das

New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has accused Delhi authorities of delaying bail proceedings for its leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, alleging that the prolonged hearings are preventing their release from judicial custody.

The allegations came after Delhi Police registered a case against unidentified individuals over alleged threats to the special executive magistrate handling the bail proceedings, according to a report by The Indian Express.

Ratna Singh, the campaign’s legal affairs head, said the hearing scheduled for noon on Sunday was delayed until the evening. She claimed the magistrate informed those present that he had received threatening messages, shifting the focus away from the merits of the bail applications. Singh also alleged that the authorities had rejected bail sureties, contributing to further delays.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke accused the authorities of using procedural hurdles to prolong what the campaign considers the unlawful detention of its leaders.

Ranka, Das and another campaign leader, Ajinkya Shinde, were arrested on October 13 for allegedly entering Jantar Mantar unlawfully to protest its removal from the list of designated demonstration sites. While Shinde was released on a personal bond, Ranka and Das were remanded to five days of judicial custody on Wednesday.

Jantar Mantar was denotified as a protest venue following recommendations from a committee established by the Union Home Ministry.

The decision came amid demonstrations by opposition parties, student groups and the CJP seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over concerns about the Election Commission’s functioning and the special intensive revision of electoral rolls.