Delhi Magistrate Orders Release of CJP Leaders

A Special Executive Magistrate in Delhi ordered the release of Cockroach Janata Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka on October 21, after their two-day extension of judicial custody expired. The magistrate accepted their sureties, rejecting a Delhi Police request for three additional days in custody. Das and Ranka had been detained on October 13 after allegedly entering Jantar Mantar, which had been denotified as a designated protest site. They were remanded to five days of judicial custody on October 14, then held for two more days under an order issued October 19. The prosecution alleged that they breached peace bonds. The allegations have not been established as findings of guilt. The pair appeared before the magistrate on October 21 as the extended custody period ended. Delhi Police sought another three days, but the magistrate ordered their release after accepting the sureties. One report said Das’s release was conditional on his not being required in another case; the precise terms applicable to Ranka were not detailed in the reports. Earlier that day, Das and Ranka withdrew a petition in the Delhi High Court challenging the custody extension. Justice Subramonium...