CJP Leaders Summoned by Delhi Police After Release From Jail

The protests centre on demands for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. Deutsche Welle reported that large rallies had called for the country's top election official to step down over alleged manipulation of voter rolls. Those allegations are the protesters' claims, not established findings in the supplied coverage.

The immediate dispute involving CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka concerns Jantar Mantar in Delhi, which had been denotified as a designated protest site. According to NDTV Top Stories, the two scaled its locked gates on October 13 and waved the national flag in protest against that decision.

They were placed in judicial custody on October 14 over allegations of unauthorised entry and violating peace bonds, News reported.

On October 18, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke had secured conditional bail and vowed to continue protesting against the SIR of electoral rolls, according to India News. Das and Ranka remained in custody.

Their expected release on October 19 did not happen. Deutsche Welle reported that the judge handling their case recused himself after claiming he had been threatened. The CJP alleged a deliberate delay in securing the leaders' release.

Later on October 19, their judicial custody was extended by two days, The Hindu reported. Legal News India reported that SEM Ritu Raj said their assurance against repeating the alleged conduct did not inspire confidence given their previous actions.

The police investigation also changed hands. On October 19, Times now reported, citing police sources, that the alleged unauthorised entry case had been transferred to the Delhi Police Crime Branch. By October 20, the branch had taken over a second case involving the leaders, according to NDTV Top Stories.

On October 20, the CJP sought an urgent Delhi High Court hearing challenging the leaders' judicial custody, The Hindu reported. They withdrew that petition on October 21 after the court orally observed that a petition under Article 226 was not the appropriate remedy, according to Business Line - Home.

A Special Executive Magistrate court ordered their release on October 21. NDTV Top Stories reported that they gave a written undertaking not to call further protests at Jantar Mantar. Both subsequently walked out of Tihar Jail, according to Times now.

Das and Ranka are no longer in custody, but their legal difficulties continue. On October 22, India Today reported that the Delhi Crime Branch had issued summons to them. Times of India India also reported that they had been summoned the day after their release.

Their political demand has not changed. According to India News, both reiterated their call for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation after leaving jail.

The immediate next step is the Crime Branch proceedings following the fresh summons. The supplied coverage does not specify an appearance date or report an outcome. With two cases transferred to the branch, their release from custody should not be read as the end of those investigations.