Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka ordered released by Delhi magistrate after sureties submitted

A Special Executive Magistrate in New Delhi ordered the release of Cockroach Janta Party co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka on Wednesday, following the formal submission and acceptance of their required sureties.

The two activists had been held in preventive custody after entering the de-notified demonstration zone at Jantar Mantar by climbing over barricaded security gates on 13 October. Their detention followed clear apprehensions over potential breaches of peace bonds, prompting administrative authorities to enforce established public order rules.

Das and Ranka were initially placed in five days of custody on 14 October under statutory provisions aimed at preserving civic order. On 19 October, Special Executive Magistrate Ritu Raj, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, extended their detention by two days after noting that previously submitted sureties failed to meet regulatory requirements and that unapproved gatherings at restricted locations risked disturbing public order. That custody term expired on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court declined to halt the executive magistrate's proceedings. Justice Subramonium Prasad observed that the petitioners had bypassed standard legal remedies, questioning the challenge given allegations that an earlier peace bond had been breached. The court advised the duo to await the magistrate's assessment of their documentation, leading the activists to withdraw their High Court petition.

Once produced before the magistrate's court at Mandir Marg Police Station on Wednesday afternoon, the activists provided compliant sureties, clearing the path for their discharge under standard statutory protocols.

Preventive powers and legal procedures

Preventive measures in the national capital operate under the Delhi Police Act read with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. These provisions empower designated police officers of Assistant Commissioner rank and above to act as executive magistrates, ensuring public safety and preventing planned disturbances.

Similar administrative oversight recently led another executive magistrate, Mahesh Kumar Meena, to issue a show-cause notice to All India Students' Association president Neha Bora. Bora was asked to explain why she should not be directed to execute a peace bond following unapproved gatherings around Connaught Place and Mandi House.

Delhi's administrative apparatus maintains strict oversight over designated sensitive sites to balance civil expression with metropolitan security, ensuring that demonstrations conform strictly to statutory clearances.