Latest Update: As of this morning, an Executive Magistrate ordered the release of Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka from the Delhi Cantonment Police Station after nearly 24 hours in custody. The Supreme Court is currently proceeding with its hearings on the broader preventative detentions and transport restriction
The Supreme Court of India has convened a special Sunday sitting today, October 11, 2026, to hear urgent habeas corpus and contempt petitions following the detention of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders and the shutdown of public transit during anti-CEC protests in Delhi.
Key Takeaways
Special SC Bench: Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana are hearing the matters at 10:30 AM.
Top Detentions: CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, co-convenor Saurav Das, and spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi Police directly from their flight at IGI Airport.
Transit Shutdown: A contempt petition challenges the closure of Delhi Metro stations and the cancellation of trains intended to block protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar.
Constitutional Rights Invoked: The habeas corpus plea cites Articles 14, 19, 21, and 22, arguing that denying protest permissions does not justify the indiscriminate detention of political leaders.
High-Drama Detentions Ahead of Jantar Mantar Protest
Tensions escalated on October 10 when Delhi Police intercepted CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke alongside senior leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka inside their commercial flight moments after landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The leaders were traveling to Delhi to lead a demonstration at Jantar Mantar against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Footage of the detention showed Dipke willingly offering himself for custody, reportedly telling officers, "I came here to get arrested," while Das and Ranka raised slogans as they were escorted off the aircraft. According to CJP members, the exact whereabouts of the detained leaders have not been officially disclosed to their families, and they have allegedly been denied access to legal counsel.
Supreme Court Intervention
In response to the crackdown, Advocate-on-Record Rajesh G. Inamdar approached the Supreme Court Registry seeking an urgent listing of a habeas corpus petition (Diary No. 63926/2026) filed by CJP Coverage Coordinator Gaurav Bharti. This is being heard alongside a related habeas petition (Diary No. 63858/2026) filed by Senior Advocate Menaka Guruswamy against the broader detention of political leaders.
The petitions seek immediate judicial scrutiny and demand:
Disclosure of the current whereabouts and the precise legal basis for holding Dipke, Das, Ranka, and other detained supporters.
Production of relevant arrest records, police station diaries, and movement registers.
Preservation of CCTV footage from IGI Airport, police stations, and lock-ups to verify the circumstances of the interceptions.
The plea relies on landmark Supreme Court judgments—including D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal, Himat Lal K. Shah, and the Ramlila Maidan Incident—to assert that public assembly regulations cannot be weaponized to arbitrarily strip citizens of personal liberty. The Union of India, the Delhi Government, senior Delhi Police authorities, and the states of Haryana, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh have been named as respondents due to reported detentions across multiple jurisdictions. The petitioners clarify they are not seeking immunity from lawful action, but rather the immediate release of persons whose detention fails to satisfy constitutional safeguards.