Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka on Wednesday withdrew their petition before the Delhi High Court challenging their judicial custody after the court indicated that an alternative legal remedy was available.
Justice Subramonium Prasad allowed the leaders to withdraw the plea without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case.
The court advised Das and Ranka to wait for the proceedings before the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) on Wednesday and approach the appropriate forum if their grievance remained unresolved.
CJP Leaders Challenged Extension of Custody
Das and Ranka had approached the High Court challenging the SEM’s October 19 order extending their judicial custody by two days, until October 21.
Their petition was listed for an urgent hearing after the High Court resumed proceedings following the Dussehra vacation.
The leaders challenged the extension of their custody and raised concerns over the proceedings before the magistrate.
Why Were Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka Detained?
The two CJP leaders were taken into custody on October 13 after allegedly climbing over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, which had previously been denotified as a designated protest site.
Along with other CJP workers, they displayed the national flag and raised slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar before being detained.
They were initially remanded to five days of judicial custody.
On October 19, a newly appointed Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg police station extended their custody until October 21 after they were produced before him.
Delhi Police and CJP Offer Different Accounts
Delhi Police alleged that the protesters entered the denotified protest site by trespassing through private premises and obstructed police personnel from performing their official duties.
The CJP, however, has alleged that proceedings related to bail have been deliberately delayed to prevent the release of its two co-convenors.
