Posted On: October 13th 2026, 05:59 am
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi Police once again on Tuesday, October 13, after they jumped over a gate and entered Jantar Mantar in an attempt to stage a protest. The dramatic scenes unfolded just a day after authorities removed the iconic location from Delhi’s list of designated protest sites.
Videos shared on social media show Das, Ranka and several CJP supporters climbing over an iron gate and barricades while carrying the Indian national flag. The group can be heard shouting slogans including “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Inquilab Zindabad” as police personnel rush to intercept them. The protesters briefly confront the officers before being detained.
According to police sources cited by The Indian Express, the group allegedly accessed the area through the premises of the Janata Dal (United) office located next to Jantar Mantar. CJP member Ajinkya Shinde and several other volunteers were also detained during the incident.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke subsequently shared footage of the confrontation, declaring that the authorities could not suppress their movement simply by removing Jantar Mantar’s designation as a protest venue. Meanwhile, Das announced on X that Jantar Mantar had been “reclaimed”, presenting the action as a message to young supporters.
The fresh detentions come just three days after Das, Ranka and Dipke were detained on October 10 ahead of their planned demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities. The leaders were subsequently released on Sunday.
On Monday, Delhi Police announced that Jantar Mantar would no longer serve as a designated protest venue, identifying Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as alternatives.
CJP had also issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding that police specify a date for its proposed demonstration.
Police are reportedly considering registering an FIR over Tuesday’s incident, although no filing had been confirmed at the time of reporting.
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