India
oi-Swastika Sruti
The leaders of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) alleged on Sunday that Delhi Police treated them badly in the period of their detention before the protest by the party against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Speaking at a press conference after their detention, co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka alleged that police officers did not allow them to meet their lawyers and made their detention a public show.
CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka alleged Delhi Police mistreatment and denial of lawyers during detention before a protest targeting CEC Gyanesh Kumar over electoral rolls, while founder Abhijeet Dipke missed his grandmother’s funeral. Delhi Police maintained procedures were followed and released the leaders.
Another point of discussion at the press conference was the personal tragedy of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, whose grandmother Savitribai Shankarrao Dipke passed away in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district on Saturday. The man along with Das and Ranka was taken into custody after their plane arrived in Delhi.
According to Abhijeet Dipke’s mother Anita Dipke, her son could attend the funeral ceremony of her mother-in-law if he had been set free earlier. According to Delhi Police, however, all procedures in relation to the preventive arrests had been carried out correctly and all three leaders had been released by the executive magistrate on Sunday.
Delhi: CJP Co-Convenor Ashutosh Ranka says, “…Abhijeet’s grandmother passed away yesterday. When Abhijeet was informed about her death, Delhi Police behaved in such an inhuman manner. I feel ashamed that the police in the national capital of this country behaved this way. Even when Dipke was informed about his grandmother’s death, Delhi Police personnel were standing there with cameras and microphones. They tried to turn even this incident into a spectacle…”
— IANS (@ians_india) October 11, 2026
‘Police Turned A Family Tragedy Into A Spectacle’: Ashutosh Ranka
CJP co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka criticised the way police allegedly behaved when Dipke was informed about his grandmother’s death.
“Abhijeet’s grandmother passed away yesterday. When Abhijeet was informed about her death, Delhi Police behaved in such an inhuman manner,” Ranka said at the press conference.
#WATCH | Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das says, “They seized our phones but did not provide a seizure memo… We suspect our phones were hacked or cloned. Just as has happened to other activists over the years, we fear they may have hacked into our devices to plant documents or other material to be presented later as evidence… We want to state here that our phones have likely been compromised…”
— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2026
He added that he felt ashamed that police personnel in the national capital had allegedly acted in this way. Ranka also claimed that officers were standing with cameras and microphones when Dipke received the news and accused them of turning a personal family tragedy into a public spectacle.
Dipke’s mother, Anita Dipke, also expressed anguish over her son’s detention. Speaking from Hingoli, Maharashtra, she said, “If Abhijeet had been released yesterday, he could have attended his grandmother’s last rites today. Now, he will not even be able to see her face one last time.”
Her remarks highlighted the family’s distress following the death of Savitribai Shankarrao Dipke, who lived in Santuk Pimpri village in Hingoli district and had reportedly been unwell for a prolonged period.
Delhi Police had earlier said Dipke was informed about his grandmother’s death and the funeral schedule. The police also claimed that he was offered assistance to travel to his hometown but declined it. The conflicting accounts have added to the controversy surrounding the detention.
Saurav Das Calls Situation An ‘Open Emergency’
CJP co-convenor Saurav Das launched a sharp attack on the government and the police response, describing the situation in the country as resembling an “open Emergency”.
Das compared the current situation to the Emergency imposed in 1975 and accused the government of suppressing dissent. He alleged that the authorities were creating an atmosphere of fear and confrontation between the government and citizens.
He also criticised the restrictions imposed across Delhi, including the closure of Metro stations, cancellation of train services and shutdowns of shops. According to Das, the measures were intended to discourage public support for the protesters, but he argued that people were watching how the demonstrations were being handled.
The CJP leaders were detained on Saturday after arriving in Delhi by flight from Mumbai. Police had denied permission for the planned protest at Jantar Mantar, citing public safety, traffic and law-and-order concerns.
Das claimed that the three leaders were taken away from the aircraft and transported in separate private cars to different locations. He said he was taken to the R K Puram area, while Ranka was taken elsewhere.
These claims were made by Das during the press conference and have not been independently verified.
#WATCH | Delhi: CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, and Saurav Das at a police station after they were released from Delhi Cantt Police Station. https://t.co/lpTrp2zXES
— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2026
CJP Leaders Allege Denial Of Access To Lawyers
Das also alleged that the three leaders were not allowed to contact their lawyers after being detained.
He said they asked police personnel to let them speak to their legal representatives but were refused. According to Das, they were told that they did not have a right to legal representation during detention.
Das described this alleged response as a violation of their fundamental rights. He also expressed concern that their mobile phones might have been accessed or hacked, although he did not present evidence to establish that this had happened.
The CJP leader further claimed that journalists had been beaten or detained during the crackdown and questioned whether reporters were being prevented from doing their work.
The allegations have not been independently established. Delhi Police has maintained that the preventive arrests were carried out according to legal procedures.
CJP Thanks Opposition Leaders, Vows To Continue Protest
During the press conference, Das thanked opposition leaders who came out in support of the protesters during Saturday’s demonstrations. He specifically mentioned former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Manik Sarkar and Pinarayi Vijayan.
The CJP has continued to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls. These allegations remain contested.
Before returning to Maharashtra, Dipke said the organisation would not retreat despite the detentions. In a post on X, he declared that the CJP would neither back down nor be intimidated.
The party’s next steps are expected to keep the dispute over electoral rolls, police restrictions and the right to peaceful protest in focus. Meanwhile, the allegations made by the CJP leaders and the police’s defence of their actions remain central to the developing controversy.
