Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has accused state authorities of intentionally prolonging the detention of party members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. According to Dipke, the state is employing various tactics to obstruct court proceedings, thereby ensuring the two individuals remain in custody without legal justification. Dipke voiced his concerns in a post on X, characterizing the continued incarceration as an effort to avoid their release despite a lack of formal charges.
The events leading to the current legal impasse began on October 14, when Das and Ranka were apprehended after entering Jantar Mantar. The protest site, which has been denotified for designated demonstrations, was accessed by the pair after they scaled locked gates. Party officials stated that the intent behind the entry was to unfurl the national flag and conduct a protest. Following their detainment, the two were remanded to five days of judicial custody.
Ratna Singh, the legal head for the CJP, offered further criticism regarding the conduct of the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) during recent court proceedings. Singh claimed that despite meeting all necessary verification requirements and being present at the court since the morning, the legal process was subject to significant, unexplained delays. According to Singh, the hearing was originally scheduled for noon but did not commence in a meaningful capacity until significantly later in the day.
Singh alleged that the SEM arrived at the police station by 1:30 pm but did not enter the courtroom to address the matter until 5:00 pm. Once the proceedings finally began, she asserted that the magistrate refused to hear the case on its merits regarding the potential release of the detainees. Instead, she claimed the session was dominated by the magistrate’s remarks regarding a threatening message he allegedly received.
The CJP’s legal team argued that the introduction of the threatening message served as a diversion to avoid discussing whether the formal requirements for the release of Das and Ranka had been satisfied. Singh characterized the entire sequence of events as an orchestrated attempt to justify continued detention while bypassing the legal merits of the case. As of the time of reporting, there has been no official response from the police regarding these allegations of misconduct or delay.
In a show of further escalation, the CJP announced on Saturday that it had consulted with senior advocate Kapil Sibal regarding the situation. The party issued a warning that it intends to pursue legal action against all individuals responsible for the continued detention if Das and Ranka are not released by Sunday. The party maintains that the individuals have not committed any offense that would warrant such prolonged confinement.
The ongoing tension highlights the friction between the party and state authorities regarding the management of public protest sites and judicial procedures. As the deadline set by the party approaches, the CJP continues to characterize the detention as an illegal maneuver, asserting that those responsible for the procedural delays will be held accountable in court. The situation remains fluid as the party explores further legal avenues to secure the release of its detained leaders.
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