CJP Alleges Liberty Curtailed as Activists Sent Back to Judicial Custody
CJP's Ratna Singh alleges liberty is being curtailed after activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent back to judicial custody in Delhi.
In a development that has sparked allegations of "mental torture" and the stifling of dissent, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have been sent back to judicial custody. The duo was taken from the Mandir Marg Police Station in Delhi on Monday after the court rejected their surety, citing discrepancies in documentation.
"A Mockery in Court": Ratna Singh Slams Proceedings
Ratna Singh, the Head of Legal Affairs at CJP, has voiced strong criticism over the court's decision, claiming that the activists' liberty is being curtailed on vague and nitpicked grounds. According to Singh, the legal team had spent the last six days attempting to complete the surety verification process, only to be met with constant hurdles.
"A mockery was going on in the Court. For the last six days, we have been saying that one or the other reason is being nitpicked—surety verification has not been done, that an FIR has been lodged against the surety. We saw someone’s liberty being curtailed," Singh stated.
Singh further highlighted procedural delays, noting that a hearing scheduled for 2 pm did not actually commence until around 3:30 pm. She argued that the defense presented sound legal points while the opposing side offered no substantial reason for extending the judicial custody. Singh described the move as an attempt to silence voices and vowed to challenge the decision, asserting that the world is watching these developments.
Dispute Over Photo Mismatches and Sureties
Advocate Abhik Chimni, representing Das and Ranka, expressed deep disappointment with the court's ruling. He pointed out that since this was a matter of preventive custody, the court had previously indicated that judicial custody was not necessary, which is why sureties were requested in the first place.
Despite the defense submitting a new surety with all required details on Monday, the court rejected it. Advocate Chimni revealed that the order cited a mismatch in photographs and a general "apprehension" as the primary reasons for the denial.
Chimni argued that according to the law, individuals should be released first, with verification following. He described the current situation as "very disturbing," especially after multiple sureties were rejected for various reasons.
Lack of Evidence and Procedural Delays
Adding to the controversy, Advocate Pushp Sharma, who also represents the activists, claimed that the authorities failed to provide basic evidence for the actions taken against Das and Ranka. The defense specifically requested details regarding a call allegedly made by the two activists and the legal provisions under which they were being held.
According to Sharma, the authorities had no specific reply to these queries, merely stating that the information was already in the "public domain."
Allegations of Unusual Court Conduct
Advocate Sharma also raised concerns regarding the time taken to deliver the order. He alleged that while the court initially suggested the order would be pronounced in half an hour, it actually took three hours.
- Phone Distractions: Sharma claimed that officials spent two of those three hours talking to someone on the phone.
- Suspicious Activity: He alleged that during this time, the order was written, photographed, and sent elsewhere.
- Surety Questioning: The sureties were questioned and eventually informed that their photographs did not match the records.