‘Abducted, Phones Seized, No Lawyer’: CJP Leaders Accuse Delhi Police Of High-Handedness
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have criticised the Centre and Delhi Police over their detention, alleging that officers seized their phones, denied them access to legal assistance and failed to provide documents explaining the action.
Speaking at their first press conference after being released following nearly 24 hours in custody, the leaders described the situation in the national capital as resembling an undeclared emergency. They alleged that extensive security arrangements, restrictions on public transport and internet curbs were intended to weaken their protest movement.
The remarks came amid the CJP’s campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Saurav Das Alleges Leaders Were ‘Abducted’ From Aircraft
Das said he and other CJP leaders knew they might be detained upon arriving in Delhi but had not anticipated the manner in which the police action unfolded.
According to Das, police personnel entered the aircraft’s staircase area immediately after the flight landed and took the leaders into custody before they could disembark normally.
He alleged that officers subsequently confiscated their mobile phones without providing written documentation or a formal seizure memo, despite the leaders requesting one.
Das also claimed that they were told they would not be allowed access to lawyers during detention. He questioned the legality of the treatment and argued that detainees should not be denied their basic legal rights.
The CJP spokesperson further raised concerns about what might have happened to their phones while they were in police custody. He alleged that the devices could have been accessed, hacked or cloned, and suggested that evidence might potentially have been planted.
However, these claims were allegations made by Das, and the report did not establish that the phones had been compromised.
Das Criticises Centre Over Delhi Security Restrictions
Das accused the government of creating an atmosphere of fear around the proposed demonstration. He claimed that Delhi had effectively been turned into a fortress, with a heavy security deployment and restrictions affecting transport and public movement.
He alleged that more than 50 Metro stations, along with shops and roads, had been affected by the arrangements. According to Das, these measures risked portraying the youth-led movement negatively rather than allowing protesters to assemble peacefully.
He also criticised the government over its handling of the protest against Kumar, whom the CJP has accused of being responsible for alleged irregularities in electoral-roll revision.
The CJP’s proposed demonstration at Jantar Mantar, described by the group as “Jantar Mantar 2.0”, was planned to press for the election chief’s resignation.
Ashutosh Ranka Questions Conditions For Release
Ranka also criticised the conditions attached to his release, particularly the requirement that he refrain from disturbing public peace.
Ranka accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Police of contributing to the unrest surrounding the protest. He said the party’s objective was to demonstrate peacefully and challenge the alleged irregularities in the electoral-roll revision process.
The leaders’ comments underscored the continuing confrontation between the CJP and authorities over the proposed protest and the restrictions imposed ahead of it.
CJP’s Ratna Singh Alleges Harassment Of Protesters And Families
Ratna Singh, the CJP’s head of legal affairs, separately accused Delhi Police of intimidating protesters and their families. She alleged that officers visited the homes of volunteers and pressured their parents between Friday night and Saturday.
Singh also claimed that intelligence personnel followed her after she arrived in Delhi.
Describing her own experience, Singh alleged that four police personnel visited her apartment and repeatedly rang the doorbell, troubling her flatmates. She said that later, while she was sitting in a car, several vehicles surrounded her and prevented her from leaving freely.
According to Singh, she remained surrounded by vehicles in the Jangpura area for approximately nine hours. She further alleged that around 30 to 35 officials later arrived and told her that she would have to accompany them to a detention centre or remain under house arrest.
Singh questioned the legality of the alleged restrictions and accused authorities of acting under instructions from senior officials. These allegations were not independently established in the account.
The controversy follows the detention of CJP leaders ahead of their planned mobilisation in Delhi. The party has maintained that it will continue its campaign seeking accountability over the SIR process, while the dispute over the police response has intensified political tensions surrounding the proposed demonstration.