New Delhi: A day after being released on bail by a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) court, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) co-conveners Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das requested additional time and did not report to the Delhi Police Crime Branch on Thursday in connection with a separate investigation, officials said.
Bail granted, but questioning deferred
The Crime Branch had summoned the two leaders on Wednesday requiring them to join its probe. Instead of complying on Thursday, Ranka and Das sought an adjournment, according to a party source. The investigating agency is likely to issue fresh notices directing them to appear, the source added.
Both men had secured bail from the SEM court in a case linked to demonstrations they organised in the national capital. Police have alleged their repeated protests caused public inconvenience and disrupted administrative functions — charges that formed part of the proceedings before the executive magistrate.
Sureties, verification and procedural next steps
The SEM court ordered further procedural checks even after granting bail. Ranka, Das and the two individuals who provided bail bonds were instructed to appear before the court on Friday for verification of the bail sureties, court records show.
Arranging sureties proved difficult, court sources said. Das’s bail was backed by a Ghaziabad-based professor who runs an NGO, while Ranka’s bail was guaranteed by his wife, who is registered as a resident of Varanasi and was in Bengaluru at the time — she travelled to Delhi to complete the formalities.
- Wednesday – Crime Branch issued notices to Ranka and Das to join its investigation.
- Thursday – Both leaders sought more time and did not appear before the Crime Branch.
- Friday – SEM court has directed appearance of the accused and bail sureties for document verification.
| Action | Agency | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Demand to join probe | Delhi Police Crime Branch | Issue fresh notices after delay |
| Bail granted | Special Executive Magistrate court | Verification of sureties on Friday |
Protests and continuing legal exposure
The legal actions are bifurcated: one matter before the SEM court concerned public order offences arising from protests directed at the central government, while the Crime Branch investigation pertains to a separate case. Police said their enquiries into the latter require the two leaders to formally join the probe.
By choosing to seek more time, Ranka and Das have prolonged the process of engagement with investigators and the SEM. The Crime Branch will determine whether non-appearance merits issuing fresh summons or invoking stronger procedural powers, depending on the case file and legal thresholds.
There was no immediate comment from the Crime Branch on Thursday evening. The CJP said its leaders needed additional time to make arrangements after obtaining bail and to ensure availability of legal counsel and sureties for the court-mandated verification.
Observers note that the difficulty in securing local sureties — with one guarantor travelling from Bengaluru and another from Ghaziabad — underlines challenges faced by political activists in arranging immediate compliance with stringent bail formalities imposed in public-order cases.
The proceedings will test the pace at which investigative agencies and executive magistracy resolve overlapping matters arising from protests, especially where criminal and quasi-judicial routes run in parallel. The next hearings and any fresh directions from the Crime Branch are likely to determine whether the legal entanglement deepens or is wound down in the coming days.
