Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka Join Crime Branch Questioning In Jantar Mantar Case A Day After Skipping Summons
Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka appeared before the Delhi Police Crime Branch at Mandir Marg police station for questioning on 23 October 2026, accompanied by their lawyers
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das on Friday appeared before the Delhi Police Crime Branch at Mandir Marg police station for questioning in the investigation into the protest at Jantar Mantar. They were accompanied by their lawyers and the party's legal team. Ajinkya Shinde also appeared along with them.
The appearance came a day after the two had not turned up for questioning, having sought "more time" to appear before the Crime Branch.
The Crime Branch had summoned Das, Ranka and their associate Ajinkya Shinde to join the investigation on October 22. Das and Ranka did not appear that day and asked the Delhi Police for more time. Crime Branch sources had then told ANI that police were expected to serve a fresh notice on them.
On Friday, both leaders presented themselves at Mandir Marg police station, accompanied by counsel.
The notices to Das and Ranka were issued after their release from Tihar Jail. On October 21, a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) at Mandir Marg police station declined the Delhi Police's request for a further three days of judicial custody and ordered their release, after both leaders gave written undertakings to keep the peace.
That release came in preventive proceedings for alleged breach of their bonds to keep the peace. The summons concerns the separate criminal investigation. The investigation concerns alleged violation of a government order under "Section 188" and alleged trespass while the leaders were proceeding to Jantar Mantar.
Das, Ranka, Shinde and other CJP members were detained on 13 October after they allegedly entered the Jantar Mantar area, which had been denotified as a protest site a day earlier. According to the Delhi Police, the protesters entered the site by trespassing through private premises and obstructed police personnel in the discharge of their duties.
Two FIRs were registered over the incident, at the Connaught Place and Parliament Street police stations, under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), including those on house-trespass, criminal conspiracy and obstructing a public servant. On 19 October, according to police sources, both cases were transferred to the Inter State Cell of the Crime Branch.
Das and Ranka have asked the Delhi Police for more time to appear, Crime Branch sources told ANI. The sources said police are expected to serve a fresh notice on them.
Shinde was not sent to judicial custody with Das and Ranka. He was earlier bound down to maintain peace and good behaviour for six months and released on a personal bond and a surety of Rs 5,000.
Yesterday, i.e. 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.
On October 19, Delhi Police had transferred the criminal cases against Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to the Inter State Cell of its Crime Branch for further investigation, according to police sources. The two are accused of trespassing through private premises to reach Jantar Mantar and obstructing police personnel during a protest on 13 October.
The transfer came shortly after a newly appointed Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) at Mandir Marg police station extended their judicial custody by two days in separate proceedings for the alleged breach of their peace bonds. It is to be noted that their judicial custody is coming to and end today, October 21 and they are to be produced again before the SEM.
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.