CJP Leaders Placed Under 5-Day Preventive Arrest After Breaking Barricades at Jantar Mantar

In a dramatic early-morning crackdown, the Delhi Police placed three prominent leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, and Ajinkya Shinde under preventive arrest after they allegedly forced their way into the heavily fortified Jantar Mantar protest site without administrative clearance.

The trio was detained at the Parliament Street police station after scaling barricades and staging a flash demonstration demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral roll discrepancies. Police officials confirmed that all three leaders are expected to be produced before the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) court later today.

Breach of Peace Bond and Unauthorised Entry

The swift action by law enforcement comes just days after Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were released on a ₹50,000 surety bond following a similar detention over the weekend. Under the terms of the preventive bond signed under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the leaders had undertaken to maintain peace and good behavior for a period of one year.

However, early on Wednesday, CJP functionaries bypassed police checkpoints at Jantar Mantar, raising anti-CEC slogans and attempting to gather supporters at the site.

Police officers on duty immediately intervened, detaining Das, Ranka, and Shinde for violating administrative curbs and breaching their undertaking. Officials noted that the fresh action involves charges linked to the breach of peace bond conditions previously set by the magistrate court.

Escalating Face-Off Over Electoral Integrity

The detentions mark the latest flashpoint in the ongoing confrontation between the CJP and statutory authorities over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.

• Key Demand: The CJP has been pressing for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, alleging widespread procedural irregularities during electoral roll updates.
• Venue Restrictions: Police pointed out that designated protest clearances at Jantar Mantar require strict prior permissions, which were not granted for Wednesday's demonstration.
• CJP Stance: The party claimed its representatives had approached the Parliament Street police station earlier in the week to formalise a time and date for a peaceful gathering, but were met with heavy barricading instead.

Security has been further intensified around Central Delhi, with police setting up additional checkpoints along roads leading to Parliament House and the Election Commission headquarters to prevent further unannounced demonstrations.