No relief for CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das as court extends jail custody by 2 days

The duo was detained on October 13 and remanded to five days of judicial custody on October 14.

They were produced before a Special Executive Magistrate at the Mandir Marg police station on Monday before being taken back to Tihar Jail.

They are scheduled to appear before the magistrate again on Wednesday.

CJP questions proceedings, alleges deliberate delays

Reacting to the extension of custody, CJP legal head Ratna Singh strongly criticised the proceedings, alleging that the authorities had failed to present any substantive justification for keeping the two leaders in detention.

"What we witnessed today was nothing short of a circus," Singh said, calling for an inquiry into what she described as the curtailment of people's liberty.

She claimed that the arguments presented by the defence focused on the law, while the other side failed to establish any apprehension of future protests or a potential breach of peace.

Singh also alleged that the proceedings were unnecessarily delayed and questioned the rejection of the sureties submitted on behalf of the two leaders.

She argued that pending verification of sureties alone should not be grounds for continued detention.

The CJP has accused the authorities of deliberately prolonging the proceedings to prevent Ranka and Das from being released.

Why were Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das arrested?

The arrests stem from the party's protest at Jantar Mantar, which was recently denotified as a designated protest site.

According to the CJP, Ranka and Das entered the premises to unfurl the national flag and raise slogans.

The party has continued to challenge the decision to withdraw Jantar Mantar's designated protest-site status, arguing that the move should not be used to silence demonstrations.

CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke expressed solidarity with the two detained leaders in a social media post.

"Ashu and Saurav's first crime was waving the Tiranga at Jantar Mantar. Their second crime? Refusing to back down," Dipke wrote, adding that the two remained in high spirits despite spending five days in jail.

CJP threatens legal action over continued detention

The latest development follows the party's warning on Saturday that it would pursue legal action if Ranka and Das were not released by Sunday.

The CJP said it had consulted senior advocate Kapil Sibal over the matter.

In a post on X, the party alleged that the two leaders were being kept in "illegal custody" despite not having committed, or been charged with, an offence, as claimed by the party.

It further warned that those responsible for allegedly using delaying tactics to prolong their detention would be held accountable.

Protest against Election Commission also in focus

The arrests come amid the CJP's wider campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The party has alleged that the revision exercise threatens voters' rights and has made opposition to the process a central part of its protests against the Election Commission.

The CJP has also continued to challenge the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site, making the dispute over the two leaders' detention part of its broader campaign against restrictions on public demonstrations.