Delhi High Court to Hear CJP Leaders' Challenge to Extended Custody

On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court gave the green light for an urgent hearing in a case that has been turning heads across the capital. Two activists from the fledgling Cockroach Janta Party – Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka – will appear before Justice Subramonium Prasad, arguing that their continued judicial custody is unlawful.

The duo had knocked on the court’s door late last week, requesting a night‑time hearing after a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) in New Delhi ordered an extension of their detention. Their counsel says the order, dated October 19, flouts the fundamental right to liberty, especially since the leaders have repeatedly offered sureties.

Both men are currently being held under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Their lawyers contend that the SEM’s decision to keep them behind bars, despite the sureties, is arbitrary and runs counter to established legal principles.

Interestingly, the extended custody is slated to end today, meaning the activists will be produced before the same Special Executive Magistrate once again. Whether the High Court’s urgent hearing will tilt the balance in their favour remains to be seen, but the proceedings underscore a growing tension between political dissent and procedural safeguards.

For now, the legal community is watching closely. The outcome could set a precedent on how quickly courts must respond when political figures claim their personal freedoms are being trampled by procedural overreach.