Student protests became arson: Court cites France riots during CJP leaders' hearing

The remarks came as the Delhi High Court agreed to urgently hear a plea by CJP leaders challenging the order extending their judicial custody, which ends today. It stressed that police permission for demonstrations was intended not merely to regulate protesters but also to prevent others from joining and disrupting the protests.

In Short

• Delhi HC emphasises police permission aims to control protest, prevent disruption
• CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das challenge extension of their judicial custody
• Court to examine legality of protest at Jantar Mantar, barricade breach

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday referred to the ongoing student-led protests in France that escalated into arson and looting while hearing a case involving the arrest of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.

The bench led by Justice Subramonium Prasad stressed that police permission for demonstrations was meant not merely to restrict protesters but also to prevent other people from joining and disrupting them.

The remarks came as the High Court agreed to urgently hear a plea by the CJP leaders challenging the order extending their judicial custody, which ends today. The leaders, however, withdrew the plea after the court questioned why the petitioners had approached it instead of pursuing alternative legal remedies and waiting for the SEM to hear the matter.

Ranka and Das were arrested on October 13 for trespassing into Jantar Mantar and unfurling the Tricolour. They crossed the police barricades and entered the site, raising slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

During the hearing, Justice Prasad questioned the leaders' decision to enter Jantar Mantar after it had been denotified as a protest site and said, "Barricades are there for a purpose. When you go and break a barricade, the chances of more people coming there is — persons who might not be under your control."

Referring to the student-led protests in France, the High Court said, “We are seeing this outside our country as well. What started as a student protest has become arson, looting... That’s why you need police permission. It is not just to stop you, but also to prevent others from joining you and spoiling your name.”

Questioning whether holding the protest at the denotified site was serious enough to warrant proceedings, the court said the legality of the action was a separate issue that it would examine.

“You went there and broke the barricade. That issue we will see,” the court said.

During the hearing, the High Court also asked the CJP leaders their age. Das is 26 years old and Ranka 31.

“Then you are not Gen Z. What age group do millennials belong to?” the court quipped, observing that while the protest had initially been a student movement, its cause had since changed.

“People remain the same, but the cause has changed. The next question is: who are you, what are you, what is your association, and what is the purpose of the association? When there is an apprehension of a breach of peace and tranquillity, all these questions assume importance,” it added.

The High Court’s comparison with the riots in France came a day after CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke rejected the parallel, saying Das and Ranka had chosen non-violence despite being jailed.

In a video message, Dipke said the two had entered prison smiling, without anger or hatred, even though they believed their detention was unjust. He invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s satyagraha to underline their commitment to peaceful protest.

“Have some shame, see what is happening in India. In India, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have gone to jail laughing. They didn’t do anything like what’s happening in France,” Dipke said.

- Ends