Delhi High Court Questions CJP Leaders Over Jantar Mantar Protest and Bail Plea

Court Hearing

Delhi High Court questioned Cockroach Janata Party leaders Sourabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka during a hearing on their bail pleas challenging a special executive magistrate order. The court asked why they went to Jantar Mantar after it was de-notified for protests, why they did not appeal against the special executive magistrate before coming directly to the High Court, and why they violated their peace bonds. The court also asked about their identities and noted their ages are 27 and 31, remarking that they are millennials rather than Gen-Z.

Magistrate Order

Special Executive Magistrate Ritu Raj had extended the judicial custody of Ranka and Das by two days on October 19. The magistrate court based this decision on past conduct, disregard for the law, apprehension of a breach of peace, and the unsuitability of their offered sureties. Earlier, on October 11, the leaders had executed peace bonds of fifty thousand rupees under section 136 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita promising to maintain peace for one year after police detained them on October 10. Police claimed the leaders jumped into Jantar Mantar from inside the JD(U) office premises on October 13 and raised slogans despite the location being de-notified.

Withdrawal of Petition

The High Court observed that filing a petition under Article 226 was not the proper remedy and suggested they could have approached the district magistrate with a revision petition. Justice Subramonium Prasad advised the lawyer representing the CJP leaders to wait for the outcome of the proceedings before the special executive magistrate later that day. Following this, Sourabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka withdrew their petition from the Delhi High Court.

Context

Courts routinely examine whether petitioners have exhausted lower legal remedies before approaching higher judicial authorities with urgent pleas. Peace bonds are legal instruments used by magistrates to bind individuals to good behavior and maintain public order when authorities apprehend a potential breach of peace.