New Delhi: Delhi Police have arrested three Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) activists — Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde — for allegedly trespassing at Jantar Mantar, intensifying tensions amid the ongoing protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

The arrests came after the three activists allegedly attempted to enter Jantar Mantar, a day after authorities de-notified the area as a designated protest site. According to police sources, the activists were placed under preventive arrest, with a case registered against them.

CJP leader Ratna Singh confirmed the arrests and alleged that the activists had been denied access to legal counsel for several hours. She also raised concerns over the possibility of the three being sent to judicial custody.

"Delhi Police arrests Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, and Ajinkya Shinde at Parliament Street Police Station in today’s Jantar Mantar case. Trespass, bond violation, obstruction of public official’s duty, etc. They’ll be produced before the SCM Court in the morning. A possibility of Judicial Custody (JC) in the Tihar Jail is possible. They were not allowed to meet their lawyers till late at night. They were brought to Parliament Street PS at 3 AM in a private van. Despite these illegal actions, their spirits are high," Ratna Singh posted on X.

In a subsequent update early Wednesday, Singh said the activists were likely to be produced before the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) at Mandir Marg Police Station.

"Update at 5:38 AM - Just been informed that Saurav, Ashutosh, and Ajinkya are likely to be produced before the SEM at Mandir Marg Police Station within one hour. FYI, 24 hours timeline will end soon," Singh wrote.

The arrests followed an attempt by CJP activists to enter Jantar Mantar and hoist the national flag, despite restrictions imposed by the authorities.

CJP accuses Delhi Police of acting on orders from above

Reacting sharply to the arrests, Singh accused Delhi Police of disregarding legal procedures and acting under instructions from higher authorities.

"We are currently witnessing the Delhi Police operating according to a specific 'rulebook', one dictated by orders from above. They set the law aside to follow this rulebook. We saw how people who went to Jantar Mantar, simply to hoist the Tiranga, were detained. It has been nearly 24 hours, yet they have not been allowed to meet any lawyers, nor have they been initially informed of the grounds for their detention or arrest," she said.

Singh alleged that police personnel repeatedly refused to allow lawyers and CJP volunteers to meet the detained activists, despite their efforts throughout the day.

"They denied access not only to ordinary volunteers but also to lawyers who had been present since morning. The SHOs and other officers on site kept insisting they were acting under orders from above. Who, then, is issuing these orders to the Delhi Police, orders that override the law itself?" she asked.

'Peaceful protesters being stopped while criminals roam freely'

Questioning the police action, Singh alleged that the authorities were increasingly restricting peaceful demonstrations by withdrawing the designated status of protest sites and detaining those attempting to assemble.

Singh said, "We see criminals roaming freely, wandering the city, assaulting people, yet peaceful protesters are being stopped. Designated protest sites are being 'de-notified,' and people visiting these public spaces are being detained without explanation and held in custody for extended periods."

"The Delhi Police is being used as a puppet, and they are dealing very harshly with peaceful protesters, which is not right," she said.

Singh further questioned the legal basis of the arrests, alleging that the offences cited against the activists had not occurred.

Singh alleged, "Recent arrests are illegal; no information was provided, and none of the alleged offences cited in the charges actually took place."

"I believe this is merely a tactic to frame people, a way to intimidate them so they do not protest. But they are mistaken; they cannot stop protesters by invoking such sections or detaining them in this manner," she added.

The latest arrests come amid continuing protests by the CJP and Opposition groups against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The controversy surrounding the restrictions at Jantar Mantar has added to tensions between the protesters and Delhi Police, with CJP leaders accusing the authorities of attempting to suppress dissent.

There was no immediate response from Delhi Police to Singh's allegations regarding denial of legal access and procedural violations.