Cockroach Janta Party workers demonstrate during the 'Lehra Do Tiranga' protest at Azad Maidan against the arrest of Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Photo: PTI
CJP leaders’ bail hearing delayed as SEM fails to arrive, four sureties rejected
Ratna Singh alleges procedural delays and vague grounds for rejecting sureties as Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka remain in judicial custody
New Delhi, Oct 18 (PTI) The bail hearing of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka was "delayed" on Sunday as the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) did not arrive at the scheduled time, activist Ratna Singh said and alleged that four sureties had been rejected on "vague" grounds.
Das and Ranka were sent to five days of judicial custody on October 14 after they entered Jantar Mantar, which had been denotified as a designated protest site, by scaling its locked gates. The CJP leaders maintained that they had unfurled the national flag and raised slogans.
In a post on X, Singh said she had been at the police station since 11 am, while the hearing was scheduled for noon. She said the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP/SEM) had not arrived at the Mandir Marg police station by 4.42 pm.
"This is really concerning. They have rejected 4 sureties till now on vague reasons. They have made people who have FIRs against them for being part of protest as people having criminal antecedents (sic)," Singh alleged.
There was no response from police on the allegations.
In another post, Singh said, "Unfurling the Indian National Flag is not a crime, and the boys should not remain in custody due to procedural delays."
Questioning the functioning of the SEM courts in the national capital, Singh said higher courts had asked authorities to follow the hierarchy and alleged an "absolute misuse of power".
On Saturday, the CJP said in a post on X that it had consulted senior advocate Kapil Sibal and warned of legal action if Das and Ranka were not released by Sunday.
"If Ashu and Saurav are not released by tomorrow, we will pursue legal action against all those who deliberately ensured that they continue to be in illegal custody, especially when they have not committed nor charged with any offence," the outfit had said.
"The deliberate use of delaying tactics to keep them behind bars cannot go unchallenged. Those responsible will be held accountable," it added.
The outfit has been protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise threatens voters' rights. PTI