Delhi Police detained leaders of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar on October 13 after they allegedly entered an area where protests and public gatherings were not permitted, according to a report by Jagran. The report names CJP chief spokesperson Saurabh Das, national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde, but contains inconsistent references to whether two or three leaders were detained.
Police officials cited by Jagran said the leaders reached Jantar Mantar despite the absence of permission for a protest or assembly in the area. The reported action comes amid heightened security around the designated protest site, where restrictions govern when and how demonstrations can be held.
The incident also follows an earlier detention of CJP leaders Abhijit Dipke, Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka. Jagran reported that a Special Executive Magistrate’s Court later released them on bail after they furnished surety bonds of Rs 50,000 and agreed to maintain peace and good conduct for one year.
Dipke subsequently criticised the police action in a post on X. According to the report, he said CJP members carrying the national flag had attempted to enter a restricted area around Jantar Mantar on the morning of October 13. He named Ranka, Das and Shinde among those detained and said other party workers were also taken into custody.
The post reportedly included videos showing people climbing a gate and running with flags while police officers moved them away amid barricades and increased security. The footage was shared by Dipke, and the account represents the party’s version of the incident rather than an independently verified account of the events.
Jantar Mantar is a designated location for demonstrations in the national capital, but access to the site is subject to police permissions and restrictions. The reported detentions therefore involve more than the movement of a small political group: they also illustrate how Delhi’s protest spaces are administered through permissions, restricted zones and preventive policing.
The source report does not provide the specific order or notification under which the leaders were detained, the legal provisions invoked, the duration of custody or whether formal cases were registered. It also does not include a response from the detained leaders beyond Dipke’s social-media post, or an independent confirmation of the number of people taken into custody.
Jagran additionally reported that restrictions on demonstrations at Jantar Mantar have been challenged before the Delhi High Court, which has agreed to hear the matter. The court proceedings and any official police record will be important for establishing the precise legal basis of the latest action and clarifying whether the detention involved two or three named CJP leaders.
