Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka withdraw plea challenging judicial remand

Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka withdrew their Delhi High Court plea challenging their judicial custody. The court advised them to await a magistrate's hearing and approach the appellate court if their grievance persisted

New Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka on Wednesday withdrew their plea from the Delhi High Court challenging the extension of their judicial custody by a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM).

Justice Subramonium Prasad told counsel appearing for the CJP co-conveners to await the outcome of the hearing scheduled before the SEM later in the day and approach the appellate court if their grievance persisted.

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While permitting Das and Ranka to withdraw the plea, the judge clarified that he had made no observations on the merits of the matter.

During the hearing, the court orally observed that a petition under Article 226 of the Constitution was not an appropriate remedy in this case.

The case was taken up after the CJP leaders sought an urgent hearing in the High Court, which is closed for the Dussehra break.

Das and Ranka challenged the SEM’s October 19 order remanding them to two days of judicial custody.

They were taken into custody on October 13 after they allegedly climbed over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar, which had earlier been denotified as a designated protest site, and were sent to five days of judicial custody.

A newly appointed Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg police station on Monday ordered their judicial remand until October 21 after they were produced before him.

Along with other CJP workers, Das and Ranka had displayed the national flag at the site and shouted slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar before being detained and placed under preventive arrest on October 13.