Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were released from Tihar Jail on Wednesday after a Special Executive Magistrate accepted their written undertakings to maintain peace and personal bonds of ₹50,000 each.
ACP Ritu Raj, acting as the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM), rejected the police request to extend their judicial custody by three days, observing that the leaders’ assurances and personal bonds were sufficient to address concerns over a possible breach of peace.
Their release came hours after the two leaders withdrew their petition in the Delhi High Court challenging the extension of their custody.
Das and Ranka have been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the deletion of voters’ names.
In separate written undertakings submitted before the magistrate, both leaders pledged to maintain peace and expressed their faith in the judiciary. They also agreed not to call for protests at Jantar Mantar while the venue remains denotified for demonstrations.
The leaders further assured the magistrate that any protests organised by them would remain within the constitutional framework.
Considering these assurances, the magistrate ruled that further judicial custody was unnecessary. Das and Ranka have been directed to attend all hearings and comply with the conditions specified in their bonds and undertakings.
The next hearing is scheduled for October 23 at 3 pm. Both leaders, along with their respective sureties, must appear before the magistrate.
The investigating officer has also been directed to submit a verification report on the sureties before the next hearing.