Senior leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, are currently incarcerated in Tihar Jail. To manage security effectively, prison authorities have placed both individuals in relatively less crowded sections of the facility. The two leaders are being monitored continuous 24-hour basis via CCTV cameras. As part of their permitted routine, they have been provided access to television sets and daily newspapers. For sleeping, both inmates have been given blankets to sleep on the floor. Their daily dietary provisions include regular servings of dal, roti, rice, and vegetables.
Jail Allocation and Security Measures
According to prison administrative records, Saurav Das has been designated as inmate number 3752, while Ashutosh Ranka holds inmate number 1784. Initially, both leaders were housed together in Jail Number 2. However, authorities later relocated Ranka to Jail Number 4. Presently, Saurav Das is lodged in Ward Number 3 of Jail Number 2, whereas Ashutosh Ranka resides in Ward Number 15 of Jail Number 4.
To ensure high security, closed-circuit television cameras have been installed directly inside their respective cells, allowing officers to maintain constant watch over their movements. Inmates from other wards are strictly prohibited from entering the specific wards where these two leaders are held, thereby avoiding any unauthorized interaction.
Daily Schedule and Meal Provisions
In line with standard prison protocols, both prisoners follow a structured daily schedule. During the morning and evening hours, they are permitted to walk and exercise around their designated ward areas under the direct supervision of police personnel and jail warders. After being released from their barracks in the morning, inmates complete their personal hygiene routines and other mandatory daily tasks.
Regarding meal schedules, the timeframe between breakfast and lunch is relatively short, requiring prisoners to finish their midday meal by 11 AM. The standard lunch menu consists of rice, chapati, lentils, and a portion of dry cooked vegetables. Tihar Jail currently houses over 14,000 prisoners, with approximately three-quarters of the total population classified as undertrials.
Visits and Context of High-Profile Inmates
CJP founder Abhijit Dipke and the party's legal head Ratna Singh visited the facility to meet both leaders. During the interaction, a verbal request was made by one leader to meet the other, but prison administration declined the request citing security regulations.
The specific facility, Jail Number 2, where Saurav Das is currently lodged, previously housed former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Activist and former Jawaharlal Nehru University student Umar Khalid is also held in the same jail facility within a separate high-security cell. Meanwhile, Jail Number 4, where Ashutosh Ranka is held, previously hosted Vipassana meditation sessions and was once the holding location for arms dealer Abhishek Verma.
