Delhi Police have transferred a second case registered against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to the Crime Branch, sources said on Tuesday, as the two leaders remain in judicial custody over a protest-related incident at Jantar Mantar earlier this month.
With the latest transfer, the Crime Branch will now investigate two cases against the CJP leaders. The first case, linked to Das and Ranka’s alleged entry into the Jantar Mantar area, was handed over to the specialised unit on Monday.
According to Delhi Police, the cases stem from an incident on October 13, when Das, Ranka, Ajinkya Shinde and 11 other members of the Cockroach Janta Party reached Jantar Mantar, which has been denotified as a designated protest site, by allegedly trespassing through private premises. The site, once a customary venue for demonstrations in the national capital, no longer holds that official status.
Police personnel deployed at the spot intervened and attempted to stop the group from proceeding. All 14 members were subsequently detained, and two separate FIRs — First Information Reports, the first step in initiating a police investigation — were registered in connection with the incident.
Das and Ranka were produced before a Special Executive Magistrate on October 14 and sent to five-day judicial custody for breaching peace bonds. Their judicial custody was extended by two more days on Monday, keeping them in custody even as investigators moved to consolidate the cases under the Crime Branch.
The transfer of both cases to the Crime Branch, which handles more complex and sensitive investigations within Delhi Police, comes ahead of a hearing in the matter. The development is being closely watched given the unusual nature of the party’s name and the escalating legal action against its leaders, with the probe now set to proceed under the supervision of the Crime Branch rather than the local police.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/delhi-police-transfers-cjp-leaders-saurav-das-ashutosh-ranka-case-to-crime-branch-ahead-of-hearing-12212544#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-10-21 00:58:00
