New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday agreed to urgently hear Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka's plea against the extension of their judicial custody by a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM).
Justice Subramonium Prasad will also take up a separate petition by the All India Students' Association (AISA) president Neha Bora against Delhi Police's October 17 notice asking her to execute a bond before a SEM for "keeping peace".
Das and Ranka have assailed the SEM's October 19 order remanding them to two days' judicial custody in the high court, which is shut this week due to Dussehra vacation.
Bora's plea pertains to a notice dated October 17 under section 126 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), asking the student leader to appear before the SEM on October 19 and show cause why she should not execute a personal bond of Rs 10,000 with one surety "for keeping peace for a period of enquiry".
Section 126 empowers the SEM to require a person to execute a bond for keeping the peace if there is credible information that he/she is likely to commit a breach of peace, disturb public tranquillity, or do a wrongful act that may cause such a disturbance.
Bora was taken into preventive detention on October 16 when she was on her way to participate in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)'s 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march. She was released on October 17.
Das and Ranka were taken into custody on October 13 after they allegedly climbed over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar, which had earlier been denotified as a designated protest site, and were sent to five-day judicial custody.
A newly-appointed Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg police station on Monday ordered their judicial remand till October 21 after they were produced before him.
Along with other CJP workers, Das and Ranka displayed the national flag at the site and shouted slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar before being detained and placed under preventive arrest on October 13.
Das and Ranka were first sent to judicial custody for five days on October 14 by a Special Executive Magistrate.
According to Delhi Police, the protesters allegedly entered the denotified protest site by trespassing through private premises and obstructed police personnel from discharging their official duties.
The CJP has alleged that the bail proceedings in the case have been deliberately delayed to prevent the release of its two co-convenors.