Delhi High Court to urgently hear pleas over activists' detention

The Delhi High Court will urgently hear pleas challenging two detentions and a peace-bond notice. The cases test preventive detention and peace-bond powers used against political protesters.Stock photo used for illustrationNewdelhi,Oct 21, 2026 12:28 ISTThe Delhi High Court on Wednesday agreed to urgently hear pleas linked to the detention of Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka and a police notice issued to All India Students' Association president Neha Bora, news agency Press Trust of India reported.Justice Subramonium Prasad will hear Das and Ranka's challenge to the extension of their judicial custody by a Special Executive Magistrate, as well as Bora's petition against an October 17 notice asking her to furnish a bond for "keeping peace".Das and Ranka have challenged the magistrate's October 19 order remanding them in judicial custody for two days. They approached the High Court, which is closed this week for the Dussehra vacation.Bora's plea concerns a notice issued under Section 126 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. The notice asked her to appear before the magistrate on October 19 and explain why she should not furnish a personal bond of Rs 10,000, along with one surety, "for keeping peace for a period of enquiry". Section 126 allows a Special Executive Magistrate to require a person to furnish a bond to maintain peace if there is credible information that the person is likely to breach the peace, disturb public tranquillity or commit an act that may cause such a disturbance.Bora was placed under preventive detention on October 16 while she was on her way to participate in the party's 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march. She was released on October 17. Das and Ranka were taken into custody on October 13 after they allegedly climbed over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar, which had earlier ceased to be a designated protest site. They were sent to judicial custody for five days on October 14 by a Special Executive Magistrate.Along with other party workers, Das and Ranka displayed the national flag at the site and raised slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar before being detained and placed under preventive arrest. A newly appointed Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg police station extended their judicial custody until October 21 after they were produced before him on Monday.Delhi Police told Press Trust of India that the protesters allegedly entered the site by trespassing through private premises and obstructed police personnel from carrying out their official duties. The party has alleged that the bail proceedings were deliberately delayed to prevent the release of its two co-convenors.The High Court will now consider the challenge to Das and Ranka's continued judicial custody and Bora's plea against the bond notice issued to her.- Ends