Delhi Police file FIR against CJP's Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and others for ‘trespassing’ into Jantar Mantar

The action came hours after Das, Ranka were detained for entering the heavily barricaded protest site and raising slogans demanding CEC's resignation.

Delhi Police on Tuesday filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and its other members for allegedly trespassing into the Jantar Mantar area without authorisation.

Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, CJP spokespersons, were detained after entering the locked and de-notified Jantar Mantar protest site (X/@AshutoshRanka)

The action came hours after Das, Ranka were detained for entering the heavily barricaded protest site by jumping the locked gates and raising slogans demanding chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.

Ranka shared a video on his X handle, showing him and Das, along with outfit's national organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde, climbing the locked gates of Jantar Mantar and entering the venue before police personnel present there intervened and took hold of them.

Deep Dive

Why did Delhi Police file an FIR against CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka?

Why was Jantar Mantar denotified as a protest site, and where can demonstrations be held instead?

What did CJP demand from Delhi Police after Jantar Mantar was denotified?

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Saurav Das said on X later that they have been “taken away to Jaffarpur Police Station.”

Jantar Mantar loses protest site status

Jantar Mantar was denotified as a protest site on Monday, a Delhi Police circular stated. It also listed three new sites — spread out across the city — for holding demonstrations.

According to the circular, the Ministry of Home Affairs had constituted a committee to examine alternative proper venues for citizen's right for organizing protest/demonstrations in place of the existing "designated site".

Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground, and CBD Ground, in Shahdara, have been designated as new venues for organising protest and demonstrations.

Reacting to the denotification order, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the entire country will become Jantar Mantar now.

“They have removed Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. Yes, it’s no a longer protest site as anyway it was turned into a war zone by the coward dictator. Ab poora desh Jantar Mantar banega! [entire country will become Jantar Mantar now],” he wrote on X.

We reclaimed it: Dipke

Following the trespassing incident, Dipke took to X and said, “Cockroaches with the Tiranga sneaked into Jantar Mantar early this morning before they were picked up by Delhi Police."

“You cannot denotify the resistance,” Dipke said on his X post after the detention of Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde for entering Jantar Mantar.

Das also shared a video on his Instagram handle shortly after detention and said, “We have breached Jantar Mantar.” Ashutosh Ranka said in the video that the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will happen from Jantar Mantar only, "no matter what".

In another post, Das said, “In less than 24 hours of Jantar Mantar being denotified as a designated protest site, we reclaimed it.”

“This is a message to the government - hands off people's Jantar Mantar! Gyanu's time is over.”

The site came in focus again from last month after an explosive news investigation raised questions against Kumar over alleged election irregularities and gave fresh momentum to Opposition's allegations of “vote chori” (vote theft) under the garb of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.