New Delhi: A Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) court in Delhi on Wednesday reserved its order on the judicial custody of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, after Delhi Police sought three more days of judicial custody for the two activists, ANI reported. The court is yet to pronounce its decision, and the two remain in custody while the order is awaited.

Source: ANI via The Daily Jagran

Das and Ranka were produced before the SEM after their previous judicial custody expired on Wednesday. They were first remanded to five days of judicial custody on October 14, after being detained on October 13 for allegedly entering the denotified protest site at Jantar Mantar and violating peace bonds — allegations the police have made and the party disputes. Their custody was extended by two more days on October 19.

Source: HI India

Earlier on Wednesday, the Delhi High Court permitted Das and Ranka to withdraw their petitions challenging the October 19 custody extension. Justice Subramonium Prasad clarified that the High Court had expressed no opinion on the merits of their challenge, and suggested they await the SEM court's outcome and pursue the appellate or revisional remedy available under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) if their grievance persisted.

Source: India Legal Live

Appearing for the two leaders, advocate Abhik Chimni had argued before the High Court that preventive custody could not be imposed arbitrarily and that the magistrate's extension order was legally unsustainable — an argument the court did not rule on, leaving all contentions open. The SEM court's reserved order will now decide whether the two are released or stay in custody for three more days.