A Special Executive Magistrate Court in Delhi ordered the release of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. They were arrested on October 13 and were subsequently sent to judicial custody, for protesting at Jantar Mantar, a day after it was denotified as a protest site.
The development came after the Delhi High Court heard a petition filed by the two leaders challenging the SEM court’s order extending their judicial custody till October 21. The petitioners subsequently withdrew their plea, with the High Court clarifying that it had not expressed any opinion on the merits of the case.
The Delhi High Court had an interesting exchange with the duo during the hearing of the plea, when it asked about their ages and remarked that they were not part of Generation Z. Saurav Das is 27 and Ashutosh Ranka is 32. “Then you are not Gen Z. What is Gen Z?” the court asked. After being informed that people born after 1997 are considered Gen Z, the court reiterated, “Then you are not Gen Z.”
Justice Subramonium Prasad also questioned the petitioners’ decision to approach the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution when an alternative remedy of revision could be available against the impugned order. The court also cited violent protests in France, pointing out instances where student protests had turned violent. The Court criticized CJP’s actions, questioning “breach of peace bond”, that the CJP leaders had signed after their first arrest.
Remember, the CJP has been leading protests for past several weeks in the national capital, demanding resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, over alleged violation of protocol in execution of Special Intensive Revision
(With inputs from ANI)
