NEW DELHI, Oct. 21: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday made a remark about the age of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, saying, “they are not Gen Z”, during the hearing of their plea challenging the extension of their judicial custody.
Justice Subramonium Prasad was hearing the petition filed by the two co-conveners, who are contesting further extension of judicial remand in connection with allegations that they attempted to enter Jantar Mantar in protest.
When advocate Abhik Chimni, appearing for the petitioners, told the court that Das was 27 and Ranka was 32, the judge responded: “Then you are not Gen Z. What is Gen Z?” The comment was reported by Bar and Bench.
The case traces to an incident on Oct. 13, when Das and Ranka were taken into custody after they allegedly climbed over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar. The site, according to the reporting, had earlier been denotified as a designated protest location.
After their arrest, both leaders were sent to five days of judicial custody. Following that period, they were produced before a newly-appointed Special Executive Magistrate at the Mandir Marg police station, who ordered judicial remand for a further two days on Monday, Oct. 19, according to the source.
In connection with the protest, the source states that Das and Ranka, along with other CJP workers, displayed the national flag at the site and shouted slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar before they were detained.
Delhi Police, as cited in the report, said the protesters allegedly entered the denotified protest site by trespassing through private premises and obstructed police personnel from performing official duties. The police version also includes that the protesters had signed a bond assuring peace and good behaviour for one year.
The High Court proceedings on Wednesday focused on the petition challenging the extension of judicial custody. The outcome of that challenge and the next date of hearing were not indicated in the available text.
Separately, the report also mentioned that Delhi Police transferred a second case against Das and Ranka to the Crime Branch. However, the details of that separate case were not provided in the source material.
