Delhi court extends custody of CJP leaders as protest dispute deepens

The Cockroach Janta Party's protests centre on a contentious revision of electoral rolls. The movement called its "Lehra Do Tiranga" protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in voter lists, according to Mint.

The confrontation also concerns where protesters can gather. Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to five days of judicial custody on October 14 after scaling locked gates to enter Jantar Mantar, The Hindu reported. The site had been denotified as a designated protest location.

On October 16, police detained CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and student leader Neha Bora ahead of a planned flag march in New Delhi, Al Jazeera reported. Hundreds of supporters and members of student organisations held flash protests in the capital, according to Times now.

Dipke was subsequently arrested to prevent a breach of the peace, according to an October 17 report from Business Line - Home. Accounts differ on where his detention happened: The Guardian reported that he was taken from his home, while NYT World News described him as detained on his way to a protest.

On October 17, Dipke received conditional bail after appearing before a special executive magistrate at Mandir Marg police station, Mint reported. He signed a bond promising not to engage in activities that would breach peace or create a law-and-order situation. AISA president Neha Bora was also released, according to The Hindu.

Das and Ranka remained in custody. On October 18, CJP alleged delays in their release and the rejection of four sureties, The Hindu reported. By October 19, the judge handling their case had recused himself after claiming he had been threatened, according to Deutsche Welle.

On October 19, a Delhi court extended the two leaders' judicial custody by two days, The Hindu reported. Separately, the investigation into their alleged unauthorised entry was transferred to the Delhi Police Crime Branch, according to police sources cited by Times now.

Dipke is out on conditional bail, but Das and Ranka remain in jail. Their expected Sunday release did not happen, and Monday's order extended their detention rather than resolving the dispute.

The court's reasoning concerns compliance with earlier restrictions. NDTV India, which reported accessing the order, said the special executive magistrate found that the two had deliberately breached bonds submitted on October 11. CJP, meanwhile, has alleged a deliberate delay in securing their release, according to Deutsche Welle.

The protests have not ended. Dipke vowed to continue campaigning against the electoral-roll revision after obtaining bail, India News reported.

The immediate issue is whether Das and Ranka secure release when the additional custody period ends. The latest court order keeps them in judicial custody for two more days, according to India News; the supplied coverage does not establish a subsequent release decision.

The Crime Branch investigation is a separate development to follow. Times now reported its transfer on October 19, but the coverage does not set out a timetable for the investigation or its next procedural step.