A Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) court in Delhi extended the judicial custody of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka by two days on Monday, 19 October 2026, after concluding that their conduct demonstrated a lack of respect for the law and raised serious concerns about a potential breach of peace and public tranquillity.
Why did the court extend the judicial custody of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka?
The court extended the custody because the activists had breached an undertaking given before the SEM on October 11, 2026, by calling for public assembly at Jantar Mantar, a de-notified protest site, and using social media to mobilise protests at non-designated locations including Connaught Place. The SEM, Ritu Raj, stated that their assurance not to repeat the alleged conduct did not inspire confidence in light of their previous actions, which showed habitualness in protesting at de-notified areas.
The Investigating Officer’s application for custody extension was supported by substantial material on record, which the court found raised serious concerns about the likelihood of breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquillity that could not be brushed aside without proper consideration.
What were the observations of the court regarding the sureties?
The SEM rejected the sureties produced for Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka after finding them unfit. One surety’s bond bore a photograph that did not match his Aadhaar card, and he failed to produce another valid identity document, giving unsatisfactory answers during inquiry. The other surety could not provide basic details about Saurav Das. Critically, neither surety could ensure the respondents’ presence before the court, which the court held to be the primary essence of a surety.
The court recorded that the inquiry revealed both sureties had no control over the respondents to produce them before the court, and since no other surety was present, the respondents were directed to furnish fresh sureties.
Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
Date of Production | 19 October 2026 |
Custody Status Prior | Judicial custody ended on 19 October 2026 after five days (from 14 October) |
Police Request | Extension of judicial custody |
Grounds for Extension | Breach of undertaking (Oct 11), habitual protest calls at de-notified sites, social media mobilisation |
Surety Issues | Photograph-Aadhaar mismatch, lack of valid ID, inability to identify respondent, no control over production |
Custody Extension | Two days |
Next Hearing Date | 21 October 2026 |
The activists, associated with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), were detained by Delhi Police on 13 October 2026 after allegedly entering the barricaded Jantar Mantar site by climbing its gates. They were sent to judicial custody for five days on 14 October 2026. The CJP has been protesting alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Opposing the extension, counsel for the respondents argued for immediate release and reiterated their assurance that the activists would not repeat the alleged conduct. They also disputed the allegation that protest calls were issued after October 10, 2026. However, the court found the police’s allegations, including reference to an anonymous threatening WhatsApp communication and a related daily diary entry, to be substantiated by material on record.
The SEM directed the respondents to furnish fresh sureties and listed the case for further consideration on 21 October 2026.