CJP Leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka Released by Court on Day 2 of Protest
The three leaders were detained from a flight after it landed in Delhi on Saturday. Their release comes amid protests over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and heightened security across the national capital.
Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, leaders of the satirical political group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), were released by a court on Sunday morning, hours after being placed under preventive arrest ahead of protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The three leaders were detained from a flight after it landed in Delhi on Saturday morning. They were subsequently produced before the executive magistrate’s court in Delhi Cantonment, which ordered their release.
Their detention came on the second day of the planned protests over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The CJP has demanded accountability over allegations of voter deletions and manipulation, claiming that around 13 crore votes were affected.
On Saturday, more than 3,000 protesters, including political leaders, were detained across Delhi as police moved to prevent a large gathering at Jantar Mantar. Most of those detained were released later that night.
Authorities deployed extensive security arrangements across the national capital, forcing protesters to split into smaller groups and gather at different locations.
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who has expressed support for Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and frequently criticised the NDA government, was also detained ahead of the protest. He was released at around 3 am on Sunday and handed over to his family, according to officials.
Another key development expected on Sunday is a special sitting of the Supreme Court to hear a contempt petition concerning the blanket closure of Delhi Metro stations and services on Saturday.
Metro services resumed on Sunday morning, although security remained tight at station entry and exit gates. Buses were also stationed nearby to transport people taken into preventive custody.
On Friday, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana had directed that metro services should not be completely suspended ahead of Saturday’s planned protest.
The restrictions on public transport have raised questions about balancing the right to peaceful protest with the need to maintain public order and ensure the uninterrupted operation of essential services.
CJP leaders have said street protests will continue until accountability is established over the alleged deletion and manipulation of voter records. The group has also alleged that an “undeclared emergency” has been imposed in Delhi to prevent people from assembling peacefully.
Dipke, a Boston University graduate who founded the CJP, returned to India to lead protests over alleged NEET examination paper leaks. The controversy surrounding the examination had also put Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan under political pressure. The CJP has received support from opposition parties across the country.
The BJP has described the CJP as an extension of opposition forces allegedly seeking to destabilise the country.
BJP president Nitin Nabin has accused opposition groups of attempting to harm India while acting under the direction of “foreign forces”.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, meanwhile, acknowledged the right to dissent in a democracy but cautioned against disorder.
“Every individual has the right to express dissent in a democracy,” Singh said, adding that people must not “forget that spreading anarchy is not anyone’s right”.
He also said members of Generation Z might be “momentarily misled” but could “never be diverted from the goal of nation-building”.
The developments come amid an intensifying political dispute over electoral roll revisions, protest restrictions and the handling of demonstrations in the national capital.
