New Delhi [India], October 21 (ANI): Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka walked out of Tihar Jail on Wednesday after the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) Court ordered their release. After coming out and appearing before the media, Das showed a fist pump, and Ranka shouted, “Inquilab Zindabad” before sitting inside thier car and zooming off.
Earlier, CJP’s Head of Legal Affairs, Ratna Singh, welcomed the decision of thier release after extended eight-day judicial custody and said, “There were delays, but today, finally, these boys are out.”
Speaking to ANI, Singh said, “There were delays, but today, finally, these boys are out. I think, as CJP, we absolutely feel that this was necessary. Now that they are out, we are all happy about it. We welcome the decision. We don’t have the order copy right now. We were told that they would be released soon, but the order is not yet with us, so let’s see when it comes out.”
Commenting on the Delhi High Court’s oral observations regarding the activists’ ages during an earlier hearing, Singh said that Saurav Das, 27, belonged to Generation Z, while Ashutosh Ranka was on the borderline.
“The High Court made certain oral observations, but those were their observations… Saurav Das is 27. He is absolutely Gen Z. Ashutosh is borderline Gen Z, and we relate to the cause of the youth. We are ultimately the youth of this country, so of course, we are the youth,” she added.
Advocate Abhik Chimni, who represented the activists, said the court ordered their release after hearing arguments against a further extension of their judicial custody.
Speaking to ANI, Chimni said, “As you are aware, on the 19th, they were remanded to two days of custody, and today those two days have concluded. An application for further custody was filed, citing various reasons. We, of course, endeavoured to convince the court that these reasons were insufficient and that we did not concur with them. Having heard the arguments, the court requested our sureties and, based on them, issued a release order.”
He added that the activists had furnished an undertaking to maintain law and order while asserting that they intended to continue protesting.
“The order has not yet been received, so I cannot specify its exact details. There is an undertaking bond, a standard procedure in which we have affirmed that we will not breach law and order, something we never intended to do in the first place. We have also stated that we will continue to protest,” he added.
Chimni further said that the release warrant had been issued and that the activists were expected to be released shortly.
The Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) Court on Wednesday ordered the release of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. They were first arrested on October 13 and were subsequently sent to judicial custody, initially for five days, which was later extended by two days.
Earlier, the two CJP activists were brought to Tihar Jail from Mandir Marg Police Station following the court’s order. (ANI)
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