Abhijeet Dipke released after signing fresh peace bond, say Delhi Police
Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), was released on Saturday after he signed a second peace bond, Delhi Police said. He had been taken into custody a day earlier while on his way to a CJP protest in Connaught Place.
The police said Dipke was first stopped near his home on Friday as he set out for the party’s “Lehra Do Tiranga” demonstration at Central Park. On Saturday morning, he was formally arrested for allegedly breaking the peace bond he had given on October 10. He was then presented before a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) court, where the olice started new preventive proceedings against him under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
CJP questions the arrest
Ratna Singh, who heads the party’s legal affairs, challenged the arrest and asked the court to free Dipke at once. She said his fundamental rights and due process had been violated.
In a post on X, she asked how asking people to hoist the national flag in a peaceful protest could amount to a crime.
What the police did
Notably, the Delhi Police had placed Section 163 of the BNSS in force across Central Delhi, which bans public gatherings in the area. They said Dipke was stopped to keep him from leading the rally.
The latest case is separate from the October 10 action, when Dipke was picked up from inside a flight at Delhi airport. He was made to sign a bond promising to keep the peace for a year.
Two other CJP workers, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, are in judicial custody after trying to get into the Jantar Mantar area. The party has accused the police of deliberately delaying their release.
Around 150 held; Neha Bora freed
The march was part of a wider wave of protests against the Election Commission over alleged problems in the revision of electoral rolls. The police said about 150 persons were detained to maintain law and order and keep traffic moving. Several FIRs were also registered for violating the prohibitory orders. Central Park was cordoned off with Rapid Action Force personnel posted inside and extra forces nearby.
All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora was also detained on Friday. Police sources said she was stopped at Mandi House, while Dipke was stopped at Jhandewalan. Neha Bora was let go at around 5 am on Saturday after the formalities under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act.
Bora called the detentions illegal and accused the Delhi Police and the Centre’s BJP government of ignoring the law. She demanded the release of all detained or arrested protesters, including Dipke. She also repeated the call to roll back the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. AISA said its campaign would carry on.
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