Cockroach Janta Party co-convener Ashutosh Ranka and over 30 volunteers were detained by Assam Police in Guwahati on Sunday, September 27, 2026, ahead of a planned regional meeting. Organizers alleged police blocked access to the hilltop venue and prevented lawyers from meeting the detainees at an undisclosed location.
Police Detain CJP Leaders and Volunteers in Guwahati
Assam Police detained Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka and over 30 workers, including four central committee members, in Guwahati on Sunday morning. The detentions occurred shortly before the organization’s scheduled regional volunteers’ meeting near the Assam Secretariat.
The meeting was originally slated for 10 a.m. at Assam Shree Parshuram Seva Sadan on Kharga Choudhury Road in Athgaon. Organizers stated they shifted the gathering to Chowdhury Tila, opposite the Assam Secretariat, after pressure forced the original venue to cancel its booking. Police blocked access to the hilltop site early Sunday morning, preventing roughly 200 to 300 volunteers from reaching the location.
“Police were acting like goons since morning, it was a peaceful meeting at a private property but police kept detaining our team members and now all of us have been detained.”
Ashutosh Ranka, Co-convener, Cockroach Janta Party
Ranka Alleges Government Fear Over School and Land Campaigns
Speaking before and during his detention, Ranka accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of trying to suppress the party’s ongoing campaigns regarding government school conditions, local rights in Kaziranga, and recent flood responses. CJP teams had recently visited government schools to assess facilities and buildings, while also engaging with families affected by the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
“Himanta Biswa Sarma is scared that if we show the reality of schools in Assam, the country will come to know about their condition. Himanta Biswa Sarma is scared because of how the rights of our people are being taken away in Kaziranga, and how land, forests and water are being taken away and given to corporates.”
Ashutosh Ranka, Co-convener, Cockroach Janta Party
The CJP leadership’s arrival in Guwahati on September 26 included members such as Ankit Bhardwaj, Prem Aakash, Akash Prem, Varun Agrawal, and Anam. On Saturday, the group met with leaders of the Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal to discuss state floods and future party expansion.
Legal Representation Denied Following Detention
Following the operation, CJP founder and national convenor Abhijeet Dipke reported on X that Ranka and his team were being transported to an unknown location. CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh stated that lawyers arrived at the detention site but were denied entry by law enforcement.
“Lawyers are standing outside where Ashutosh Ranka and co. are detained but police is not letting them in.”
Abhijeet Dipke, Founder and National Convenor, Cockroach Janta Party
Singh criticized the actions as an arbitrary restriction on democratic rights and peaceful assembly, noting that mobile phones of detained members had been seized. Assam Police have not yet issued an official statement regarding the detentions or the legal basis for restricting access to counsel.
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