2 Cockroach Party leaders released after pledge

Two co-founders of India’s Cockroach Janata Party, Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were released from jail on Wednesday after pledging not to hold further protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

They were released by a Delhi magistrate’s court on October 21, seven days after being arrested for staging a protest at the site, according to NDTV.

On October 10, the party called for a gathering at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. However, protesters were not allowed to enter the site, and party chief Abhijit Deep, along with Das and Ranka, was detained at Delhi airport. They were released the following day.

Abhijit later returned home following the death of his grandmother. On October 13, Das and Ranka went to Jantar Mantar and hoisted the party’s flag. Police subsequently arrested them and took them into custody for remand.

In protest against their arrest, Abhijit announced a flag-hoisting programme at Delhi’s Central Park on October 15. However, police detained him again before he could carry out the programme. He was released the following day, while Das and Ranka remained in custody.

Before their release, the Delhi High Court questioned the two leaders about why they had gone to Jantar Mantar despite the restrictions on protests. The court also asked whether they would have accepted responsibility if any untoward incident had occurred.

The two leaders subsequently pledged not to organise further protests at Jantar Mantar, paving the way for their release.