'State-sponsored terrorism': Mamata demands release of CJP's Das, Ranka

The bail hearing for two members of the Cockroach Janta Party, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, was postponed on Sunday due to the special executive magistrate (SEM) not arriving on time and subsequently recusing himself from the proceedings. The SEM cited a threat to his life as the reason for his recusal. Delhi police registered a case following the alleged threat. Police sources stated that the SEM was reportedly pressured by CJP to release Das and Ranka swiftly.

CJP argued that the threat was an independent complaint and proposed that police investigate call detail records (CDRs) to verify if the SEM's phone number had been forwarded from a CJP member's device. However, the SEM declined the request. Das and Ranka were granted five days of judicial custody on October 14 after breaching the barricades at Jantar Mantar, a site designated for protests but later denotified.

CJP accused the outfit's legal advisor, Ratna Singh, of delaying the bail hearing, claiming she had been at the police station since 11 am for the scheduled noon hearing but the SEM only arrived around 5.30 pm. Singh also alleged that four sureties had been rejected on "vague grounds." She posted on social media that she had been waiting at the police station for the hearing, which was expected to begin at noon, but the assistant commissioner of police, who also serves as the SEM, had arrived at 5.30 pm.

Advocate Abhist Hela stated there was no specific statutory provision to reschedule the hearing, and the decision to delay was based on concerns for the safety of judicial officers. He added, "Someone tried to influence him, and he (SEM) recused himself from the hearing today. How can he hear the case under such threatening circumstances?" A police officer commented, "The case has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for alleged criminal intimidation and threatening a public servant."