Cockroach Janata Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka walked out of custody in New Delhi on Wednesday after a special executive magistrate ordered their release, accepting their written undertakings that they would not call for protests at Jantar Mantar for as long as the site remains de-notified as a designated protest venue.
The order, issued by ACP Ritu Raj acting as the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) of New Delhi district, came seven days after the two leaders were taken into judicial custody over an alleged violation of a peace bond connected to their campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Before their release, Das and Ranka furnished personal bonds and surety bonds of Rs 50,000 each.
The proceedings before the magistrate lasted around ninety minutes and marked the duo's third appearance before the court after two earlier unsuccessful attempts to secure their release. In the end, it was their written assurances that persuaded the court that further custody was unnecessary.
The magistrate rejected a request by the Delhi Police to extend their judicial custody by three more days, observing that the two leaders' personal bonds and written undertakings were sufficient to address the police's concerns about a possible breach of peace.
What the Undertakings Say
The undertakings were furnished in identical words by both leaders. "I undertake and promise not to commit any breach of peace. Further it is also expressed that I have full faith in the judiciary and all its instruments, including the learned SEM Court," they stated, according to the order.
They went further: "We reiterate our undertaking and commitment towards peace, law and order, public tranquillity 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." The document added that any protest they undertake in future would be conducted within the four corners of the Constitution.
The two leaders have also been directed to attend all future hearings and to comply with the conditions in their bonds and undertakings. They, along with their sureties, must appear before the magistrate at 3 pm on October 23. The investigating officer has been directed to submit a verification report on the sureties before that hearing. The inquiry against them will continue in accordance with the law.
After the release, Das told reporters waiting outside the court, "Truth has triumphed." CJP national secretary Aafreen Nawaz said the two leaders had shown resilience during a difficult period. "The two leaders have set an example of how to be resilient in times of difficulties. They always had hope in democracy, and ultimately, amid all the false allegations, today they are released," she said.
The party's legal head Ratna Singh welcomed the decision but added, "I think this should have come much earlier, but it is still not too late."
A High Court Petition Withdrawn
The release came just hours after Das and Ranka withdrew their petition in the Delhi High Court challenging the extension of their judicial custody. In a special hearing on Wednesday, the high court declined to entertain the plea, observing that the appropriate remedy for the two leaders was to challenge the special executive magistrate's order before the sessions court.
Emphasising that personal liberty is sacrosanct, the court noted that when a prescribed legal remedy is available, one should follow the established procedure rather than approaching the high court directly. "Your remedy actually lies in revision. There is difference between maintainability and entertainability... Instead of arguing now, why don't you keep your powder dry? First before the revisional court (trial court) and then HC," the judge told their lawyer Abhik Chimni.
Following that observation, the petition was withdrawn and the two leaders appeared before the SEM court, which ordered their release.
Why They Were Detained
Das and Ranka were sent to judicial custody on October 14, a day after they climbed over the locked gates of Jantar Mantar and waved the national flag to protest against the site's de-notification as a designated protest venue. According to the prosecution, their actions on October 13 violated a peace bond they had signed after being detained on October 10, when they had initially called for a demonstration over alleged electoral fraud.
The two leaders, along with twelve party members, had allegedly trespassed into Jantar Mantar, which is no longer a designated protest site, and obstructed police personnel on duty. Their detention was rooted in the party's wider campaign demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the deletion of voters' names.
The campaign has run for several days, with the party alleging that the authorities deliberately delayed even the release proceedings of the two leaders and that four sureties offered earlier were rejected.
The Satirical Party and the Protest That Lit the Fuse
The Cockroach Janata Party is a satirical political formation that has grown a following through its theatrical style of protest, mixing humour with sharp attacks on the Election Commission. Its campaign against the CEC has centred on the SIR exercise, which the party alleges is being used to remove names from electoral rolls. The row has now entered its second week, with the party's anti-CEC protests reaching their eighth day on Wednesday.
The protests have also drawn the attention of the Opposition. INDIA bloc leaders are scheduled to meet through video conferencing on Thursday evening to discuss their strategy regarding the ongoing row involving the CEC, according to agency reports. Separately, the Delhi Police have summoned Das and Ranka to the Crime Branch office, keeping the legal pressure alive even as the release order was signed.
What Happens Next
The magistrate's order makes clear that the legal inquiry will continue. The two leaders must return to court on October 23 with their sureties, and the investigating officer's verification report will be examined. The undertakings they have signed will govern their conduct for the foreseeable future: no calls for protest at Jantar Mantar while the site remains de-notified, and any agitation confined within constitutional bounds.
For the CJP, the release is both a relief and a recalibration. The party's signature tactic -- occupying Jantar Mantar's symbolic protest ground -- is now formally off the table, at least for as long as the denotification stands. Whether the party can sustain its campaign under the constraints of its own undertakings will be the next test. For now, the two leaders are free, their supporters are claiming a moral victory, and the CEC row shows no sign of fading.
(Reporting based on The Times of India, The Tribune, Hindustan Times and NDTV Profit.)