On Wednesday morning, three leaders of the Cockroach Janata Party—Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, and Ajinkya Shinde—tried to enter the Jantar Mantar area despite police barricades. Their aim was to join a protest calling for the resignation of Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Delhi Police stopped them at the perimeter and took them into custody.
The police registered cases under several sections, including trespassing, violation of bond conditions, and obstruction of public duty. According to the party’s legal head, Ratna Singh, the arrests were made on these grounds and the leaders were taken to the Parliament Street Police Station.
The demonstrators were voicing a specific demand: that Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar step down from his post.
They were not allowed to meet their lawyers until late that night, a delay noted by Ratna Singh in her statement to the press.
Eleven days earlier, on October 11, 2026, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar issued an directive that limited where protests and sit‑in demonstrations could occur. The order permitted gatherings only at Ram Lila Maidan, Gurugram Ground, and CBI Ground, explicitly removing Jantar Mantar from the list of sanctioned sites.
After their arrest, the three leaders were transported in a private van to the Parliament Street Police Station, arriving at 3:00 AM. They were not allowed to meet their lawyers until late that night, a delay noted by Ratna Singh in her statement to the press.
The leaders are expected to be produced before a Special Executive Magistrate. Depending on the outcome of that hearing, there is a possibility they could be remanded to judicial custody, with Tihar Jail mentioned as a potential facility.
As of the time of the report, the three CJP leaders remain in police custody awaiting their court appearance. The leaders were taken to Parliament Street Police Station in a private van at 3:00 AM and were not permitted to meet their lawyers until late that night.
