Delhi HC agrees to urgently hear pleas by CJP's Das, Ranka and AISA's Neha

Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were taken into custody on October 13 after they climbed over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar following its de-notification as a protest site. Credit: X/@Cockroachisback The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (October 21, 2026) agreed to urgently hear Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka's plea against the extension of their judicial custody by a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM).Justice Subramonium Prasad will also take up a separate petition by the All India Students' Association (AISA) President Neha Bora against a Delhi Police's October 17 notice asking for the execution of a bond before a SEM for "keeping peace".Mr. Das and Mr. Ranka have assailed the SEM's October 19 order remanding them to two days' judicial custody in the High Court, which is shut this week due to Dussehra vacation.Neha Bora's plea pertains to a notice dated October 17 under section 126 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), asking the student leader to appear before the SEM on October 19 and show cause on why there should not be execution of a personal bond of ₹10,000 with one surety "for keeping peace for a period of enquiry".Section 126 empowers the SEM to require a person to execute a bond for keeping the peace if there is credible information that he/she is likely to commit a breach of peace, disturb public tranquillity, or do a wrongful act that may cause such a disturbance.The AISA President was taken into preventive detention on October 16 and released on October 17 after a group was stopped from participating in the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)'s 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march.Mr. Das and Mr. Ranka were taken into custody on October 13 after they allegedly climbed over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar, which had earlier been denotified as a designated protest site, and were sent to five-day judicial custody.A newly-appointed Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg police station on Monday (October 19, 2026) ordered their judicial remand till October 21 after they were produced before him.Along with other CJP workers, Das and Ranka displayed the national flag at the site and shouted slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar before being detained and placed under preventive arrest on October 13.The two were first sent to judicial custody for five days on October 14 by a Special Executive Magistrate. According to Delhi Police, the protesters allegedly entered the denotified protest site by trespassing through private premises and obstructed police personnel from discharging their official duties.The CJP has alleged that the bail proceedings in the case have been deliberately delayed to prevent the release of its two co-convenors. Published - October 21, 2026 12:56 pm IST