New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) will approach the Delhi high court for listing its petition seeking the release of its spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka from judicial custody on October 21 (Wednesday). The judicial custody of both CJP members was extended on Monday (October 19) and the outfit moved a petition challenging this, but it could not be listed on Tuesday, Live Law reports.The CJP earlier said it was seeking an urgent night hearing in the matter. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” it said in a post on X.We have approached the Delhi High Court and sought an urgent night hearing.Saurav and Ashutosh must be released. Their liberty cannot be sacrificed at the altar of political vendetta.Justice delayed is justice denied.— Cockroach Janta Party – CJP (@Cockroachisback) October 20, 2026“We have approached the Delhi high court and sought an urgent night hearing. Saurav and Ashutosh must be released. Their liberty cannot be sacrificed at the altar of political vendetta. Justice delayed is justice denied,” the CJP said in a post on X on Tuesday.A Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) in Delhi had extended Das and Ranka’s custody on Monday – the day the initial five-day custody period was to end.The petition filed on their behalf argues that both leaders are being kept in prolonged detention despite having submitted sureties, that the powers exercised by the SEM were “arbitrary” and that they were not “afforded the opportunity” to present the sureties they had ready.It also argues that the unfurling of a flag at Jantar Mantar, a protest site de-notified by the Union government, amounts, at best, to a regulatory issue, not one of law and order.Earlier on Monday, Delhi Police transferred the case of trespassing registered against Das and Ranka to an inter-state cell of its investigation arm, the Crime Branch. While the proceedings against them were preventive so far, this transfer is meant to investigate if they committed any crime. The other case against them was also transferred, per reports.Also read: 24 UN Experts Condemn India’s Crackdown on Dissent, Flag Abuses Against Protesters, Youth and Women“Such an error hollows out the promise of Article 21 of the Constitution,” the petition states. It also challenges the finding that Das and Ranka’s release would have an impact on public order. It says the reference to “apprehension” that tranquility and order might be impacted needed to be established, not presumed against the two based on “feeble and ambiguous” grounds.“Saurav and Ashutosh should not spend a single minute behind bars. Their liberty must not be curtailed because of political games. Justice must not wait,” CJP’s legal head Ratna Singh said in a post on X.Das and Ranka were arrested during their protest at Jantar Mantar, in which they sought to unfurl the national flag a day after the Union government denotified it as a protest zone. The order from SEM Ritu Raj came as the CJP legal team sought their release, arguing the period of custody was over, The Wire has previously reported.The SEM ruled that Das and Ranka “showed no respect for law”, in that they staged a protest at a de-notified Jantar Mantar. “I deem fit that an opportunity be given to the respondents and submissions advanced on both sides,” Ritu Raj said.The order also notes that the photograph on the bond signed by the surety and the one on their Aadhaar card did not match, citing this as another reason to deny the two their freedom.CJP has called the authorities’ reasons to keep the two in custody “absolutely shocking”. Meanwhile, CJP’s founder Abhijeet Dipke and the rest of the team has been clamouring for the release of the two youth leaders. Dipke released a video on the night of October 19 in which he is scathingly critical of the Narendra Modi government’s steps against protesters and dissenters.On October 20, he posted on X about Das and Ranka, saying, “Saurav and Ashu are not just better leaders than me but also better people than me.” “Not everybody can be like your paw-paw, so insecure that he has to be listened to,” he said. Referring to Das and Ranka, he said, “we are a family, you cannot divide us”.Former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has joined other opposition political figures to back the youth protests and the release of CJP leaders. Patnaik wrote in a post on X, “Hoisting the National Flag, even in a prohibited area, should not warrant such prolonged detention.” The CJP also shared a video by CJP sympathiser and YouTuber Dhurv Rathee, in which he said the government must answer why rapists get bail, while nationalists are sent to jail.Rapist and murderers get bail and nationalist in jail.Why?Government should tell. https://t.co/G55xzcHzkA— Cockroaches of India (@CJP_for_India) October 20, 2026