'Let's see what happens': CJP's Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka appear for questioning day after skipping probe summons

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka appeared at the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) court at Delhi's Mandir Marg Police Station on Friday afternoon. They were asked by the court to appear in person with their sureties while being released in the earlier hearing.File photo of CJP leader Saurav Dasduring a court proceeding in Delhi. (@abhijeet_dipke)The Delhi Police in their surety verification report stated that there was no document provided by Das to verify and corroborate his present residential address in Delhi. He has been hence, asked by the court to produce a verifiable document to support the same on the next date of hearing, which is November 17.Das stopped briefly outside the police station to respond to media questions and said that the future course of action would be decided after seeing how things turn out at the police. “Let's see what happens here,” Das said when asked if he would approach the high court. He was accompanied by CJP's legal affairs head Ratna Singh. On Thursday, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka skipped probe summons by the Crime Branch, issued in connection with two cases filed against them.Track live updates on Delhi protestsCJP leaders had sought time to join probeDas and Ranka skipped the police summon to join the investigation in two cases against them and were to be issued another notice in the matter.Also read: Annamalai says CJP has right to protest in India, disagrees with its tacticsA senior police officer said that the crime branch of the Delhi Police had issued a notice to Das, Ranka, and CJP member Ajinkya Shinde to join the probe on Thursday. “Earlier, they asked for a time extension and later, they didn’t come,” said one officer, adding that another notice to join the probe will be sent to all three of them.Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka released after 7 daysLegal trouble for the two CJP leaders began on October 13 when they along with Ajinkya Shinde and 10 other CJP members scaled an iron gate and entered Jantar Mantar, which was by then de-notified as a protest site.Also read: RTI reveals Cabinet Secretariat sent election commissioners’ letters to CEC Gyanesh KumarThe group were detained within minutes and while the others were released within 24 hours, Das and Ranka were arrested in connection with a bond they had signed on October 11, which required them to maintain peace for a year.The duo was sent to a five-day judicial custody which was extended by two more days on October 19 as the magistrate court said that Das and Ranka ‘showed no respect for law’. It also flagged issues in the sureties filed by their counsel.On Wednesday, the special executive magistrate ordered the release of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka from judicial custody after they agreed not to call any protests at Jantar Mantar until the site is re-notified as a designated protest site.The written undertakings, furnished before assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Ritu Raj, acting as the SEM of New Delhi district, said, “We reiterate our undertaking and commitment towards peace, law and order, public tranquility and further we specifically state that we will not make any calls for protest at Jantar Mantar till such a time that it is de-notified in accordance with law.”They also promised “not to commit any breach of peace” and expressed “full faith” in the judiciary and the SEM court, HT reported. The undertakings further reiterated that any protest undertaken by them would be done “within the four corners of the constitution”. The order was made public on Wednesday.(with inputs from Arnabjit Sur).