Peace Bond Case: SEM Asks CJP's Saurav Das To Prove Delhi Address After Police Say No Residence Proof Filed

SEM (New Delhi) Ritu Raj issued the direction after Das and fellow CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka appeared before the court with their sureties.

Documents filed held deficient for want of rent agreement or lease

According to HT, the Magistrate noted that the documents submitted did not include a rent agreement or lease document to establish Das's address in Delhi.

Das's legal team sought time to gather the required documents. The Magistrate allowed the request and listed the matter for 17 November, when the documents will be examined.

Appearing for the Delhi Police, counsel Prashant Prakash and Bhairav Dass argued that Das had not provided any proof to show that he was residing in Delhi, the report said.

The proceedings stem from preventive action taken by the Parliament Street police under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), on the apprehension of a breach of the peace, HT reported.

According to the report, Das and Ranka were detained after an incident on 12 October, when they scaled a gate and entered the restricted protest site at Jantar Mantar. The action came amid demonstrations and calls for protests against the Chief Election Commissioner over alleged irregularities in the SIR.

The two leaders spent a week in judicial custody. They were released on 21 October after furnishing personal and surety bonds of ₹50,000 each. The prosecution had opposed their release, arguing that they posed a continuing threat to public safety and law and order.

The SEM's release order records that both gave written undertakings not to commit any breach of the peace, expressing "full faith in judiciary and all its instruments including the learned SEM Court", and stating that "we will not make any calls for protest at Janta Manar till such a time that it is de-notified in accordance with Law." They added that "any protest undertaken would be done within the four corners of the Constitution."

The SEM had then held that the measures contemplated under Section 135(3) BNSS "can, in the present circumstances, be adequately secured by the execution of a bond for keeping the peace, supported by the written undertakings now given today in the Court."

Separate criminal investigation by Crime Branch

The peace bond proceedings run alongside the criminal investigation into the Jantar Mantar incident, which the Delhi Police transferred to the Inter State Cell of its Crime Branch on 19 October. Das and Ranka appeared for questioning before the Crime Branch at Mandir Marg police station on Friday, a day after seeking more time.

The first FIR was registered at Connaught Place police station under Section 223A (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant), Section 332 (house-trespass to commit an offence) and Section 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS).

The second FIR was registered at Parliament Street police station under Sections 221 (obstructing a public servant in the discharge of public functions), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty) and 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter a public servant from duty), read with Section 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS. Both cases have now been handed to the Inter State Cell of the Crime Branch.

Notably, on October 21, the two CJP leaders had withdrew their plea challenging the judicial custody before the Delhi High Court. During the hearing the Court had raised concerns over ‘regime change’ remarks and protest escalation.