Cockroaches Under Scrutiny!
The so-called “Gen Z revolution” just got a reality check in the Delhi High Court.
On 21 October 2026, while hearing a plea filed by Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka against the extension of their judicial custody, Justice Subramonium Prasad asked a simple question about their ages. When their lawyer informed the court that Das is 27 and Ranka is 32, the judge delivered a clean, cutting remark:
“Then you are not Gen Z. What is Gen Z?”
After being told that Gen Z generally refers to those born after 1997, the court repeated: “Then you are not Gen Z.”
The moment was light-hearted, but the message was sharp. The same leaders who have been projecting themselves as the authentic voice of Gen Z anger were told, in open court, that they do not even fall in that category.
What Are the Charges?
Das and Ranka were detained on 13 October after they allegedly climbed over barricades and entered the denotified Jantar Mantar area, unfurled the national flag, and raised slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Key allegations against them include:
- Breach of the one-year peace bond they had signed just days earlier (around 10-11 October)
- Trespassing into a restricted and denotified protest site
- Violation of prohibitory orders
- Obstruction of public servants
The Special Executive Magistrate had earlier sent them to five days of judicial custody in Tihar Jail. On 19 October, the custody was extended by another two days after the court observed that they had “deliberately breached” their bonds and showed “no respect for law.”
Cases Transferred to Crime Branch
In a significant development, Delhi Police has transferred both FIRs related to the Connaught Place and Jantar Mantar incidents to the Crime Branch. This indicates that the investigation is being escalated beyond routine handling.
High Court Hearing Ends in Withdrawal
During the High Court hearing, Justice Prasad also questioned why the two had approached the High Court under Article 226 when an alternative remedy of revision was available. Eventually, Das and Ranka withdrew their plea. The court clarified that it had not expressed any opinion on the merits of the case.
The Bigger Picture
For weeks, the Cockroach Janta Party has tried to sell a narrative of young, restless Gen Z taking on the system. The High Court’s simple age check has punctured that branding in the most public way possible.
They signed a bond promising to maintain peace. They broke it almost immediately. They entered a denotified site. They are now facing extended custody, Crime Branch investigation, and a courtroom reminder that slogans and hashtags do not place anyone above the law.
The cockroaches are under scrutiny. And this time, the system is watching closely.