Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were released from judicial custody on Wednesday after a Special Executive Magistrate ordered their release in connection with a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on 14 October.
The two were produced before the magistrate, and their sureties were submitted during the proceedings. They had initially been remanded to five days of judicial custody, which was extended by two days on 19 October.
The release order came hours after Das and Ranka withdrew their petition in the Delhi High Court challenging the extension of their custody.
The CJP leaders have been protesting against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the deletion of voters’ names.
Earlier on Wednesday, Justice Subramonium Prasad questioned why the two had approached the High Court without first pursuing alternative legal remedies and suggested that they await the magistrate’s decision.
“Would it not be better for you to withdraw this, see what happens at 2 PM and then follow the course of law,” the judge said.
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