An executive magistrate court in Delhi Cantonment has ordered the release of three leaders of the satirical political organization Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), who were detained for calling on youths to protest against the Chief Election Commissioner.
The released individuals are CJP founder Abhijit Dipke, along with party leaders Sourav Dash and Ashutosh Ranka. The trio was detained directly inside the aircraft upon landing in Delhi on Saturday (October 10). They were freed on Sunday (October 11) morning following court proceedings.
The arrests were part of a sweeping police crackdown on Saturday that saw over 3,000 demonstrators—including prominent politicians, actors, and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, a vocal critic of the NDA government—detained and subsequently released late into the night.
Authorities enforced an unprecedented security lockdown across the capital to prevent large gatherings at Jantar Mantar, prompting protesters to split into smaller groups and stage demonstrations across various parts of the city.
Supreme Court Special Hearing Expected
Meanwhile, a special bench of the Supreme Court is expected to sit on Sunday to hear a contempt of court petition challenging the wholesale closure of Delhi Metro stations and train services on Saturday.
Although metro services resumed Sunday morning, heavy security personnel remain deployed at station entry and exit points, alongside standby transport vehicles for potential detentions.
The security measures follow a Friday ruling by a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, which directed that metro services should not be entirely shut down ahead of the protests.
Despite the crackdown, CJP leaders have vowed that street agitations will continue until authorities provide accountability regarding allegations of electoral list tampering and the removal of 133 million voters.
Organizers condemned the heavy security deployment, describing the restrictions as an "undeclared emergency" designed to suppress peaceful democratic assembly in the capital.
-SA