Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka on Wednesday withdrew their plea before the Delhi High Court challenging their judicial custody, after the court expressed its reluctance to entertain the matter in view of the availability of an alternative remedy.
Justice Subramonium Prasad, who was hearing their petition, allowed them to withdraw it without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case.
The court advised Das and Ranka to see what transpired before the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) on Wednesday and file an appeal if their grievance persisted.
The leaders had moved the high court challenging the SEM's October 19 order extending their judicial custody by two days, till October 21. The petition had been listed for urgent hearing after the high court, which was closed for the Dussehra vacation earlier this week, resumed proceedings.
Das and Ranka were taken into custody on October 13 after allegedly climbing over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar, which had earlier been denotified as a designated protest site. They were initially remanded to five days of judicial custody.
Along with other CJP workers, Das and Ranka displayed the national flag at the site and shouted slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar before being detained and placed under preventive arrest on October 13.
A newly appointed Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg police station on Monday ordered their judicial remand until October 21 after they were produced before him.
According to Delhi Police, the protesters allegedly entered the denotified protest site by trespassing through private premises and obstructed police personnel from discharging their official duties.
The CJP has alleged that the bail proceedings in the case have been deliberately delayed to prevent the release of its two co-convenors.
(With inputs from PTI)