Guwahati, September 27, 2026: More than 30 workers of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including co-convener Ashutosh Ranka and senior members of the organisation, were detained by Assam Police in Guwahati on Sunday ahead of a planned regional volunteers’ meeting, according to the party. Reports from multiple local and national news outlets confirm that Ranka and several CJP volunteers were detained before the programme could begin.
Meeting Venue Changed Before Detentions
The regional meeting was initially scheduled for 10 am at Assam Shree Parshuram Seva Sadan on Kharga Choudhury Road in Athgaon. The venue was later shifted to Chowdhury Tila, opposite the Assam Secretariat. CJP alleged that pressure had been placed on the original venue to cancel the booking. A report published a day earlier had confirmed that organisers announced the change of venue ahead of Sunday's programme.
Ranka had arrived in Guwahati on Saturday, while CJP members Ankit Bhardwaj, Akash Prem, Varun Agrawal and Anam were also in the city as part of the organisation's Assam programme.
Ranka Accuses Assam Government of Trying to Stop CJP
Before being detained, Ranka accused the Assam government of attempting to prevent CJP from raising questions about issues including the condition of schools in the state.
“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,” Ranka alleged.
He also accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of being concerned that the organisation would highlight problems in schools and other issues. These statements represent Ranka and CJP's allegations; no evidence establishing the Assam government's alleged motive had been publicly confirmed at the time of writing.
Separate reports also recorded Ranka publicly questioning school conditions and other issues in Assam shortly before his detention.
Police Response Awaited
At the time of publication, a detailed statement from Assam Police explaining the grounds for the detentions was not available in the reports reviewed. The exact legal basis for the police action therefore remains unclear.
