NEW DELHI: The Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) Court on Wednesday ordered the release of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were arrested on October 13 and subsequently remanded to judicial custody.
The activists were initially sent to judicial custody for five days, which was later extended by two days, up to October 21.
The development came after the Delhi High Court heard a petition filed by the two activists challenging the SEM court’s order extending their custody. The petitioners subsequently withdrew their plea, with the High Court clarifying that it had expressed no opinion on the merits of the case.
During the hearing, Justice Subramonium Prasad questioned advocate Abhik Chimni, appearing for the petitioners, about their ages. After being informed that Das was 27 and Ranka 32, the court remarked that they did not belong to Generation Z.
“Then you are not Gen Z. What is Gen Z?” the court asked. After being told that the term generally refers to people born after 1997, the judge reiterated that the petitioners were not part of the generation.
The exchange took place as the High Court considered the challenge to the extension of their judicial custody. Justice Prasad also questioned the petitioners’ decision to invoke Article 226 of the Constitution, observing that an alternative remedy of revision might be available against the impugned order.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, along with advocate Ashish Dixit, appeared for the Delhi Police, while Chimni represented Das, Ranka and the other petitioners.
Following the withdrawal of the plea, the High Court made it clear that it had not expressed any view on the merits of the matter.
