Three leaders of India’s Cockroach movement — Co-Conveners Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and organizer Ajinkya Shinde — have been formally charged with multiple violations by authorities in India’s national capital.
It all comes amid their protest against India’s election chief over mass deletion of voter names from electoral rolls.
The trio was detained early Tuesday after they allegedly “sneaked” past police barricades to enter the grounds of Jantar Mantar in central Delhi, which until recently was a designated protest site.
News agency PTI, citing sources, reported that police have now formally charged them with trespassing, violation of prohibitory orders, breach of a peace bond and obstructing a public servant from discharging officials duties.
Meanwhile, Cockroach Janta Party’s Founder Abhijeet Dipke said Das and Ranka had been “sent to five days judicial custody.”
“Their fault? Unfurling tricolor at Jantar Mantar,” Dipke wrote on X on Wednesday morning, referring to the national flag.
“Show some guts, Narendra Modi. If you’re so determined to crush dissent, have the courage to officially declare an Emergency instead of hiding behind these cowardly tactics,” he said.
Dipke’s post suggests the trio have already been produced in front of a magistrate. Under Indian law, a person arrested by police has to appear in court within 24 hours of the arrest. One can only be sent to judicial remand by a judge.
Defending advocate accuses police of making false claims in court
Advocate Abhisht Hela, who is representing Das and Ranka, questioned the grounds for sending the two into judicial remand and accused the police of making false claims in court, Times of India reported.
“They have been sent to five-day judicial custody because of the presumption of the police that they can commit a crime. Police lied in court that they had given a call urging people to come there,” Hela said, adding that no such call was made.
Meanwhile, Shinde, who seems to have been released, told reporters that the government was misusing its powers to curtail people’s rights. “If the government thinks that sending our two leaders, Ashutosh and Saurav, to jail for five days will frighten them, it is absolutely mistaken,” Shinde said, as per PTI.
He further called on “everyone” to “come together to bring an end to this dictatorial government.”
Source: www.dw.com
