Published Oct 22, 2026 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 22, 2026 | 7:00 AM
Actor Akshay Radhakrishnan, Sivapriya Pradeep, Isha Harris Mariam and Sanoop Devadas
Synopsis: Sanoop Devadas, South Zone coordinator of the CJP, was among four activists allegedly injured at the hands of Delhi Police during the party’s Lehra Do Tiranga march on 16 October. They continue to stay in the national capital as the party fights for the release of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who have been in judicial custody at Tihar Jail for a week, and plans its next steps. Sanoop recounted their experience during the march to South First and accused the Students’ Federation of India of obstructing joint protests in Keralam.
Sanoop Devadas, South Zone coordinator of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) from Keralam, continues to suffer pain in his right hand and swelling in his genital area following an alleged police assault during the Lehra Do Tiranga march on Friday, 16 October.
Despite the injuries and alleged inhuman treatment in detention, he and three fellow activists have decided to stay in Delhi as the party fights for the release of its leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who remain in judicial custody at Tihar Jail.
“What still stays in my mind is the scene of a police official without a name badge starting to assault me. The way he treated our national flag was unimaginable. He tore it up. When we questioned him about his nameplate, he disappeared into the crowd,” Sanoop told South First.
Keralam CJP activists during the protest
Sanoop, Sivapriya Pradeep, Isha Harris Mariam and actor Akshay Radhakrishnan were initially sitting on the road when the police asked them to move to the roadside. The activists said they complied, but police personnel began pushing them forcefully. The protesters then formed a human chain, with women at the front, to resist the action.
“Isha was pushed into the bus while clutching her stomach. Sanoop was brutally stamped on his private parts. I was pulled by my hair and pushed inside,” Sivapriya said.
They said they were detained for nearly two hours. When one of the women asked to use a washroom, police personnel allegedly told her to relieve herself inside the bus. She later fainted, they said.
The activists eventually broke open the bus’s emergency door to get out. They alleged that the police left them stranded in an area without a nearby metro station or transport facilities, forcing them to find their own way back while fearing another detention.
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Even after CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke urged activists to take a break and spend time with their families, the Keralam team decided against returning home immediately. The detention of Das and Ranka, along with the party’s plans for further protests, has kept them in the capital.
Message to all cockroaches https://t.co/9e5yI9Nst0
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) October 20, 2026
The activists are expected to meet Ajinkya Shinde, the party’s in-charge, on Tuesday night (20 October) to discuss their next steps.
“The meeting has been called for tonight. If there is any change, it may be postponed to Wednesday (21 October). Only after the meeting will we decide whether to return to Keralam or stay back in Delhi. We may also discuss our future protest plans,” Sanoop told South First.
The party has moved a writ petition before the Delhi High Court challenging a Special Executive Magistrate’s order dated 19 October that extended the preventive detention of Das and Ranka.
It has sought an urgent hearing, including a possible night hearing, alleging that their detention violates their fundamental right to liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Sanoop said CJP South Zone lead Vijay Mallangi had advised the activists not to book their return tickets yet because the party had further plans in Delhi.
“The detention of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka is still an issue, and we want them to be released,” he said.
The activists also plan to meet Malayali students in Delhi in the coming days to discuss their concerns. They have already visited Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and expect to visit Delhi University soon.
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Sanoop said the functioning of student organisations was obstructing joint protests in Keralam. He alleged that the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), which was working with different groups during protests in Delhi, was behaving in a “monopolistic” manner in Keralam.
“In Delhi, SFI is associating with everyone. But in Keralam, they are behaving in a monopolistic manner, which is not suitable for the common cause we are fighting for,” he said.
“I’m trying to meet SFI national chief Adarsh M Saji in Delhi to address these concerns. In Keralam, things are not as smooth as they are in Delhi when it comes to joint protests.”
Sanoop accused the SFI of refusing to co-operate with CJP activists. He said SFI members acted independently even when the CJP sought to work with them, while the organisation was willing to join hands with different groups in Delhi.
The activists are also struggling to meet their expenses as they wait for the party’s next decision. Most are students without regular incomes, and they have relied on low-cost travel, accommodation, help from sponsors and friends, and meals at gurdwaras to manage their stay.
“We travelled to Delhi by train and have been having food at gurdwaras. We are also choosing budget hotels, with help from sponsors and friends. Events organised by CJP in Keralam also require funds, and most of them are organised through collective efforts, with activists contributing from their own pockets,” he said.
Sanoop added that although party leaders had suggested accommodation options in Delhi, the activists had to meet the costs themselves.
“We are running out of money and there is a lot of uncertainty because we do not know how long we will have to stay in the capital,” he said.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
