Delhi Police arrested Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke under preventive provisions on October 16, ahead of planned protests in the capital. All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora, who was also detained that evening, was released after completion of formalities under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act, according to police.
Police said action against Dipke was taken under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). He is expected to be produced before a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) on October 17.
Why Delhi Police Arrested Abhijeet Dipke
According to police, Dipke had been served two notices directing him not to visit Central Park in Connaught Place. He allegedly failed to comply with the notices, prompting action over concerns that public peace could be disturbed.
Police are also expected to tell the magistrate that Dipke violated the conditions of a peace bond furnished during an earlier preventive arrest. He had reportedly submitted a bond of Rs 50,000 and was directed not to disturb public peace for one year.
The detention came ahead of planned ‘Tiranga’ and anti-Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) protests in New Delhi.
CJP Questions Dipke’s Detention
CJP alleged that Delhi Police took Dipke to an undisclosed location and that party members lost contact with him. The party also claimed he was not being allowed to speak to lawyers.
In a post on X, CJP said it had lost contact with its founder and questioned why he was being treated in this manner. The party described Dipke as an equal citizen entitled to constitutional protections and rights.
CJP also questioned the grounds for his detention, claiming that Dipke had been carrying the national flag when he left his residence.
“Abhijeet was just walking out of his home with a Tiranga in his hand! How can walking with a tiranga be a crime?” the party asked, adding that the action would not deter people from joining the planned protests.
These allegations were made by the party; police cited the notices and concerns over a possible breach of peace as the basis for their action.
CJP Seeks Details of Dipke’s Whereabouts
CJP also wrote to the station house officer of Delhi’s Mandir Marg police station, seeking details about Dipke’s whereabouts and the legal grounds for his detention.
In the letter, party leader Rohan Deshpande said the organisation had not been informed which police station or facility was holding its founder. He described the lack of information as concerning and urged police to disclose Dipke’s location, the provisions invoked against him and the grounds for preventive detention.
Deshpande also sought details of the authority under whose directions the detention was ordered and the officer responsible for Dipke’s custody. He called on police to ensure that Dipke could contact party colleagues and access legal counsel.
AISA Alleges Neha Bora Was Moved Between Locations
AISA had earlier said it traced its president, Neha Bora, to the RK Puram police station after hours of uncertainty about her whereabouts. The organisation alleged that Bora had been moved between locations across Delhi for nearly five hours.
AISA claimed that lawyers who reached the police station around midnight were denied access to her. It also alleged that police had not clarified the grounds for her detention or when she would be released, despite being aware that she had been unwell in the preceding days.
In a post on X, the organisation alleged that lawyers were not being allowed to meet Bora and that medication was also being withheld. It questioned why she was being held at a police station until midnight.
Bora was subsequently released after completion of the required formalities under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act, according to police.
Two CJP Leaders Sent to Tihar Jail
The latest action follows the detention of other CJP leaders amid protests in the capital. Earlier in the week, CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to Tihar Jail for five days for allegedly violating their peace bonds and trespassing at Jantar Mantar, which was recently denotified as a designated protest site.
Dipke’s case is expected to come before a Special Executive Magistrate, where police are likely to present their grounds for preventive action.
