Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 20: The Delhi Police has transferred the alleged trespassing case involving Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to the Crime Branch for further investigation, shortly after their judicial custody was extended by two days on Monday.
According to police sources, the case has been assigned to the Inter State Cell of the Crime Branch. The development came amid allegations by the CJP that authorities were deliberately delaying the release of the two leaders by repeatedly rejecting their sureties.
The police had registered two FIRs in connection with the October 13 protest, one at Connaught Place police station and another at Parliament Street police station. The cases invoke various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including disobedience of a public servant's order, trespass, obstruction of public servants, assault, voluntarily causing hurt and criminal conspiracy.
Das and Ranka were sent to judicial custody on October 14 by a Special Executive Magistrate following allegations that they had entered the Jantar Mantar area through private premises despite the site having been denotified as a designated protest venue a day earlier. They were also accused of violating bonds requiring them to maintain peace and good behaviour.
Their associate, Ajinkya Shinde, was bound down to maintain peace and good behaviour for six months and released on a personal bond and a surety of Rs 5,000.
The three activists and other CJP members were detained on October 13 after allegedly entering the Jantar Mantar area, raising slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and unfurling the national flag. The police alleged that the protesters entered the denotified protest site through private premises and obstructed police personnel from discharging their duties.
On Monday, Das and Ranka were produced before a newly appointed Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg police station. Their judicial custody was extended by two days after the surety submitted on their behalf was rejected over an alleged mismatch in documents, their lawyers said.
The two leaders are now scheduled to remain in custody until October 21, with their legal team continuing efforts to secure their release.
CJP leaders have accused the authorities of repeatedly delaying the proceedings and preventing the activists from being released by rejecting their sureties. The party's head of legal affairs, Ratna Singh, said the decision would be challenged.
Advocate Abhik Chimni, who represents both leaders, said the surety was rejected because of a reported mismatch in photographs. The defence has questioned the grounds for their continued detention and alleged that the repeated objections have prolonged the process.
The police, meanwhile, have maintained that the proceedings concern alleged violations of the law and the conditions imposed on the activists to maintain peace.
The transfer of the case to the Crime Branch marks a further development in the legal proceedings arising from the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar.