Chief Judicial Magistrate Abhinav Pandey of the Saket Court on Saturday dismissed a plea filed by Ratna Singh, the legal head of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), seeking the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against police personnel who allegedly detained her and prevented her from participating in a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The court passed the order after hearing the plea filed by Singh, who contended that her detention was unlawful and amounted to an abuse of police power.
The CJP had announced a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on October 10, 2026, demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner. According to the party’s version of events, Ratna Singh and three other lawyers were detained by police prior to the demonstration without being informed of the grounds for their detention. The party stated that the detention occurred without any formal communication of the reasons prompting the action.
In a video shared by the CJP, Ratna Singh alleged that police personnel arrived at her residence in the morning and later surrounded her vehicle. She claimed that when she inquired whether the officers possessed any official notice or warrant for her detention, they responded that they were acting on ‘orders from above’. The plea filed by Singh sought to initiate criminal proceedings against the concerned police officials for their alleged role in unlawfully detaining her and obstructing her participation in a peaceful protest.
The Saket Court, after considering the submissions and materials placed before it, found no sufficient basis to entertain the plea for registration of an FIR. Chief Judicial Magistrate Abhinav Pandey concluded that the allegations, as presented, did not disclose the commission of a cognizable offence warranting police investigation under the Code of Criminal Procedure. The court emphasized that the plea failed to establish the necessary ingredients to justify judicial intervention at the stage of FIR registration.
The court noted that while concerns regarding police conduct during public demonstrations merit scrutiny, the judicial authority cannot direct the registration of an FIR merely on the basis of allegations without adequate supporting evidence or legal foundation. The dismissal reflects the court’s adherence to the procedural requirements governing the initiation of criminal proceedings, wherein the magistrate must be satisfied that the facts alleged, if true, constitute an offence under the law.
A detailed copy of the order passed by Chief Judicial Magistrate Abhinav Pandey is awaited. The court’s decision underscores the limitation of judicial power in directing police action at the preliminary stage, particularly when the allegations do not meet the threshold for taking cognizance of an offence. The outcome means that no FIR will be registered against the police officials at this stage, and Ratna Singh’s plea for criminal prosecution of the concerned personnel stands rejected by the Saket Court.