Cockroach Janta Party leaders withdraw High Court plea over Jantar Mantar custody dispute

UPDATE - follow-up to Delhi High Court questions CJP leaders over breaking barricades to enter Jantar Mantar: Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka withdrew their petition in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday after the court advised them to wait for a hearing scheduled before a Special Executive Magistrate later that day.

Court Observations

Justice Subramonium Prasad questioned the leaders over allegedly breaking a barricade to enter Jantar Mantar on October 13, noting that authorities can demand stricter proof when a person is accused of breaching peace a second time. The court also observed that police permission helps keep unwanted elements out of protests and prevents peaceful gatherings from turning into violence. The judge further asked why the petitioners approached the High Court instead of using an appropriate appellate or revisional forum, and inquired about their ages and the motives of their association.

Context

This legal challenge involved an October 19 order by a Special Executive Magistrate that extended the judicial custody of the two CJP co-convenors by two days. Jantar Mantar has previously been denotified as a designated protest site, leading to ongoing legal disputes over demonstrations at the location.