The Delhi authorities must immediately release Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who have been remanded to five days of judicial custody after trying to protest at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday. Their arrests, following the
removal of the site’s designation
as an authorized protest venue, raise serious concerns about shrinking space for peaceful protest and dissent in India.
According to a post on X by CJP’s legal head,
Ratna Singh,
Das and Ranka were remanded to judicial custody on Wednesday. Party member Ajinkya Shinde, who was also detained, was released on a personal bond of INR 5,000 (USD 55). A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Das and Ranka under provisions relating to breach of bond, criminal trespass and disobedience of orders, among other charges. Shinde was also placed under preventive arrest before being released.
“The authorities cannot claim to protect the right to protest while denotifying established protest sites and arresting people who attempt to use them. Peaceful assemblies should not be limited to a few designated sites. Rather, public spaces must remain available for people to peacefully assemble, challenge those in power, demand accountability, and make their grievances heard. Authorities cannot use the criminal justice system to punish people for exercising their right to peaceful assembly. We call for the immediate release of the CJP leaders and an end to the crackdown on peaceful dissent,” said Aakar Patel, Chair of Board, Amnesty International India.
Public spaces must remain available for people to peacefully assemble, challenge those in power, demand accountability, and make their grievances heard
Aakar Patel, Chair of Board, Amnesty International India
Jantar Mantar has long provided people from all walks of life, including workers, students and activists, a platform to bring grievances directly to public attention. Its importance lies not only in its capacity to accommod
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