Leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, and Saurav Das, were released on Sunday after being produced before an Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantt Police Station. The detentions, which occurred ahead of a planned CJP protest at Jantar Mantar concerning alleged electoral roll irregularities, saw the leaders held under Sections 107 and 151 of the erstwhile Code of Criminal Procedure. Delhi Police had stated that no formal arrests were made.
Leaders Released on Peace Bond
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the three CJP leaders were presented before the magistrate around 9 a.m. and subsequently released. This release was contingent upon furnishing a surety bond of Rs 50,000 each, requiring them to maintain peace and good behaviour for a period of one year. The CJP had announced a protest at Jantar Mantar, seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of vote theft and electoral roll discrepancies. Security arrangements in the national capital were heightened in anticipation of the demonstration.
Following their release, CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka informed that the party would hold a press conference at 2 p.m. to address the situation. The detentions and subsequent release come amid ongoing discussions regarding electoral processes and political dissent in the country.
Broader Detentions and Protests
In related developments, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who had been detained from his residence in Gurugram, was also released early Sunday morning. His detention had occurred prior to the CJP’s planned protest on Saturday. The CJP has announced further demonstrations, including a protest in Mumbai scheduled for Sunday evening at T Junction, Shivaji Park. Ajinkya Shinde, the party’s national organisation in-charge, alleged that thousands of people had been detained across Delhi and other parts of the country on Saturday, characterizing the actions as a crackdown on democracy and vowing that the detentions would not go unchallenged. Shinde also called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Delhi Police also registered at least 20 First Information Reports (FIRs) in connection with incidents related to Saturday’s protest, citing alleged assaults on police personnel. According to police statements, the CJP leaders were preventively detained on October 10 under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Police maintained that all legal procedures were adhered to, and the court accepted the surety bonds, leading to the leaders’ release.
Journalists’ Detentions Condemned
The events have also drawn condemnation from press bodies. Four journalists’ organizations, including the Press Club of India (PCI) and the Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC), issued a joint statement on Saturday condemning the detention and alleged harassment of journalists covering the protests. The statement highlighted instances where journalists, despite displaying press identity cards, were detained, and their phones and equipment were seized. The PCI, IWPC, Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ), and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (Delhi unit) were signatories to the condemnation.
Extraordinary security measures remained in place across Delhi for a second consecutive day on Sunday, with reports indicating the deployment of over 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel. This was in response to the CJP’s announcement that its agitation would continue. Stringent traffic restrictions were also enforced across several areas of the city, affecting movement around key locations such as Jantar Mantar, Connaught Place, and Mandi House, as police managed the security clampdown in anticipation of continued protests.
The CJP’s core grievance revolves around alleged irregularities in electoral rolls, a matter they aim to highlight through public demonstrations. The detentions and the subsequent releases on peace bonds underscore the sensitive nature of political activism and law enforcement responses in the capital. The party’s continued plans for protests in other cities suggest an ongoing engagement with the issues they have raised concerning the integrity of electoral processes.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
