Two leaders of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, after they and a few volunteers climbed over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar and stage a flash protest. The episode came just a day after Delhi Police formally denotified the historic site as a designated venue for protests and named three new locations instead.
The detentions add a new chapter to a week of confrontations in the capital over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Delhi High Court is also set to hear challenges to the closure of Jantar Mantar as a protest site.
What Happened Early Tuesday
According to PTI, Das and Ranka were detained while trying to reach Jantar Mantar, citing police sources. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke posted a video on X showing the group, with national flags in hand, climbing over a locked gate into the area and shouting slogans including “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Gyanesh Kumar isteefa do,” meaning Gyanesh Kumar, resign. Police personnel then rushed in and took them away.
Dipke said co-leader Ajinkya Shinde and other team members were also detained. In his post, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he wrote, “You cannot denotify the resistance.” Reports reviewed did not include an official police account of where the group was taken, how many people were held or whether any charges were filed.
The Denotification of Jantar Mantar
On Monday, October 12, Delhi Police announced that Jantar Mantar had been removed from the list of designated protest sites. The change followed recommendations from a committee set up by the Union Home Ministry to look at alternative venues for protests and demonstrations, according to a statement shared by ANI. Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar had issued the standing order on October 11, according to PTI.
Three venues replace Jantar Mantar: Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi, the Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari, and the CBD Ground in Karkardooma, East Delhi. The Daily Jagran reported that Ramlila Maidan can host gatherings of up to 50,000 people, while larger crowds are directed to Burari. The statement said a detailed, revised set of rules for protests at the three venues would be issued separately.
Jantar Mantar, in the heart of New Delhi near Parliament, has served as the capital’s main protest site for decades. The Home Ministry had not given a detailed public explanation for the change beyond the committee’s recommendation in the reports reviewed.
Reactions to the Decision
Dipke said the move showed fear on the Prime Minister’s part and that protests would not stop. As reported by NDTV, he said new “Jantar Mantars” would now emerge across the country. The Daily Jagran reported that Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called the decision a sign of extreme panic, while ETV Bharat reported that Rahul Gandhi questioned why the national capital seemed to be “in jail.”
Earlier, the CJP had given Delhi Police a 24-hour ultimatum over holding a demonstration at Jantar Mantar and sought a fresh date for it, according to ETV Bharat and the Hans India.
Courts Are Already Involved
The Delhi High Court on Monday agreed to hear a petition challenging the “closure” of Jantar Mantar on Tuesday. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma noted that the Supreme Court was also dealing with related issues, and a lawyer argued that peaceful protests were being curtailed because no alternative site had been earmarked at the time. The Supreme Court has directed the Union government to file affidavits, according to Muslim Mirror.
The High Court has also listed a plea from the Indian Youth Congress seeking permission to protest against Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar, and a public interest petition by National Students’ Union of India president Vinod Jakhar seeking an independent probe into assaults on protesters on October 10. The outcome of Tuesday’s hearings was not available at the time of writing.
Background: A Week of Protests
The CJP launched online on May 16, 2026, as a satire of the political establishment, and has since grown into a protest movement. On October 10, police stopped its planned protest at Jantar Mantar, barricaded routes to the site and detained thousands of people, according to The Week. Dipke, Das and Ranka were detained from their flight after landing in Delhi that morning.
The Hans India reported that police registered more than 20 cases linked to the demonstrations, and that reported detention figures varied. The Election Commission has denied that voter lists were manipulated, and Kumar has not publicly responded to calls for his resignation.
Why It Matters
The closure of Jantar Mantar as a designated site raises questions about where and how citizens can protest in the capital. Supporters of the move point to the committee review and the new venues, while critics say the sites are far from Parliament and the centres of government, where protests are most visible. The courts may now decide how far restrictions can go.
What Happens Next
Attention now turns to the Delhi High Court’s hearings, the revised rules for the new protest venues, and what the CJP does next. Dipke has said protests will continue. Whether Das, Ranka and the other detained members are released, and on what terms, has not yet been reported.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was detained at Jantar Mantar on October 13?
CJP leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde, along with other team members, according to PTI and Dipke’s post.
How did they try to enter the site?
A video shared by Dipke shows them climbing over a locked gate with flags in their hands.
Has Jantar Mantar been closed as a protest site?
Delhi Police denotified it as a designated protest venue on October 12, following a Home Ministry committee’s recommendations.
Where can people protest now?
Ramlila Maidan, the Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari and the CBD Ground in Karkardooma.
Is the decision being challenged in court?
Yes. The Delhi High Court agreed to hear a petition against the closure on October 13, and the Supreme Court is also looking at related issues.
What did Abhijeet Dipke say?
He said “You cannot denotify the resistance” and that protests would continue.
[…] Also Read- CJP Leaders Scale Locked Gate to Reach Jantar Mantar a Day After Protest Site Is Denotified, Get Det… […]