Delhi Crime Branch summons CJP leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka

New Delhi: The Delhi Police Crime Branch has summoned Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to its Rajouri Garden office at noon on Thursday in connection with a case alleging they violated a government order and trespassed to reach Jantar Mantar.

The Crime Branch has issued notices directing the two leaders to give their statement on October 22, ANI reported. The case, registered under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), has been transferred to the Crime Branch’s WR1 unit.

The summons came a day after a special executive magistrate court ordered the release of Das and Ranka from Tihar Jail after they furnished written undertakings that they would not breach the peace or call for protests at Jantar Mantar as long as the site remains denotified. The court directed the two leaders to furnish personal bonds and surety bonds of ₹50,000 each until the conclusion of the inquiry. Acting as the special executive magistrate, ACP Ritu Raj ordered their release after the bonds were furnished.

The police had sought a three-day extension of their judicial custody, citing apprehensions of a breach of peace and disturbance of law and order based on their previous conduct and statements to the media. They also alleged that the leaders had made contradictory statements before the court and in the media about their willingness to refrain from similar activities.

During Wednesday’s proceedings, the counsel for Das and Ranka tendered an unconditional apology over a statement made by another CJP member to the media while the leaders were being taken to Tihar Jail after an earlier hearing. The police had argued that the remarks undermined the authority of the magistrate’s court.

The magistrate held that the preventive measures required to maintain public tranquillity could be secured through the bonds and written undertakings furnished by the two leaders, and that further judicial custody was not necessary at this stage.

In their undertakings, Das and Ranka promised not to breach the peace and expressed faith in the judiciary and its institutions. They also undertook not to call for protests at Jantar Mantar until the site is denotified in accordance with law, and said any protest they undertook would remain within the constitutional framework.

The court directed the investigating officer to submit a verification report on the sureties at the next hearing. Das, Ranka and their sureties have been asked to remain present on the next date of hearing, scheduled for October 23 at 3 pm. The two leaders were also directed to appear on every date of the proceedings and comply with the conditions of their bonds and undertakings.

The CJP welcomed their release. Party founder Abhijeet Dipke described Das and Ranka as “much, much bigger leaders” than himself in a post on X.

“Saurav and Ashu are not just better but much, much bigger leaders than me. Happy to follow your orders, my leaders. Jaan hazir hai,” Dipke said.

The party’s legal head, Ratna Singh, said the decision should have been taken earlier but welcomed the order. She said the team was eager to meet the two leaders and expressed hope that no one’s liberty would be curtailed in the future over issues involving sureties or technicalities.

Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal also welcomed the release, saying the entire nation stood with the two leaders.

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra had earlier said the judicial detention of Das and Ranka was linked to an alleged violation of a peace bond and not their attempt to unfurl the national flag.

Das and Ranka were initially remanded to five days of judicial custody on October 14 following their detention in connection with the CJP protest. They were accused of entering the denotified protest site at Jantar Mantar and violating peace bonds. Their custody was extended by two days on October 19 and was due to expire on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Delhi High Court declined to interfere with their judicial custody, asking them to await the special executive magistrate’s decision and approach the appellate court if their grievance persisted.

The preventive proceedings against the two leaders were initiated by the Parliament Street police under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), amid apprehensions of a breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquillity during the protests.