Delhi Police register over 20 FIRs in CJP Jantar Mantar stir case

Delhi Police registered over 20 FIRs over attempts to stage unauthorised protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged electoral roll revision irregularities. An Executive Magistrate ordered the release of three CJP leaders following preventive arrests amid heightened security

New Delhi: The Delhi Police have registered over 20 FIRs in connection with attempts to forcibly stage protests in the national capital, officials said on Sunday.

The FIRs were filed for offences including taking the law into one’s own hands, obstructing official duties, and assaulting police personnel, as the protestors gathered around Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the conduct of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

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Meanwhile, the Executive Magistrate on Sunday ordered the release of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka after the three were placed under preventive arrest by Delhi Police, according to CJP’s legal affairs head, Ratna Singh. Singh had earlier said that the three were scheduled to appear before the Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantt Police Station after being placed under preventive arrest.

“Abhijeet, Ashutosh and Saurav will be produced before the Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantt Police Station at 9 AM today. A Delhi police official informed me about this in the morning. As CJP’s Legal Head, I will be at the police station along with other advocates representing us,” Singh had said in a post on X, earlier on Sunday.

The three were detained earlier on Saturday at the Indira Gandhi International Airport as they arrived in the national capital to protest against the Election Commission of India (ECI). This came against the backdrop of the CJP’s planned demonstration against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

On Saturday, over 3,000 anti-CEC protesters, including opposition leaders like former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, were detained in Delhi as law enforcers threw an unprecedented security ring around the national capital to prevent chaos at Jantar Mantar, forcing the proposed agitation to break into several small gatherings across the city.

The authorities had earlier denied permission for the demonstration and warned against unauthorised gatherings, imposing internet restrictions, roadblocks and traffic diversions to prevent a repeat of the CJP’s July protest at Jantar Mantar that turned violent.

The detained protesters were taken to different destinations, including Chhatrasal Stadium and various police stations, the police said. Most of them, including the opposition leaders, were released later in the evening.

Social media influencer Dhruv Rathee was also detained at his residence in Gurugram on Saturday and released early on Sunday. Meanwhile, CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde announced that the protesters will once again march towards Jantar Mantar on Sunday and will rest only after the resignation of the CEC.