Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained from inside the aircraft by Delhi Police as soon as their flight landed in the national capital ahead of their planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The trio was detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and taken to three separate locations. While Dipke was taken to South Delhi, Ranka was taken to Dwarka, and Das was taken to Delhi, sources said.
Before detention, police personnel told the CJP leaders that they didn’t have permission to hold their protest at Jantar Mantar. In a video shared by the CJP, Dipke can be heard telling police officers who entered the aircraft that, “We are here to be arrested, come and arrest us.” They had arrived in the national capital from Mumbai.
The CJP described the action as a violation of freedom of movement and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the three leaders.
Following the detention, the Cockroach Janta Party said, “Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have been taken to an undisclosed location. They’re being denied access to their lawyers and cut off from all contact with others.”
Delhi Police reportedly informed Dipke about the demise of his grandmother, news agency ANI said, citing Delhi Police sources. It has been learnt that the police gave Dipke a choice of either staying back in the capital and continuing the protest while under detention or returning home to attend his grandmother’s last rites.
Responding to the same, the CJP said, “No one from Abhijeet Dipke’s family or CJP lawyers have been informed about his whereabouts. We remain extremely concerned about the safety of the three CJP leaders.” The CJP said it was “stunned by the heartless Delhi Police playing such petty politics around the personal tragedy.”
“Instead of leaking such information to the press, Delhi Police should allow Abhijeet’s family and lawyers to speak with him and release him IMMEDIATELY. It is appalling that Modi-Shah are treating the country’s youth with such contempt,” the CJP posted.
Meanwhile, Dipke passed on the baton to the organisation’s in-charge, Ajinkya Shinde, following his detention. In a pre-recorded message which was released soon after his detention, Dipke said that Shinde would lead the protest at Jantar Mantar.
The CJP asserted that the protest would continue nationwide, with or without its leaders.