Abhijeet Dipke walks free after conditional bail, signs peace bond again

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was granted conditional bail and released on Saturday after signing a peace bond, a day after his detention while heading to the Lehra Do Tiranga protest in Delhi.

In Short

• Dipke was arrested for breaching peace bond, preventive orders under BNSS
• Legal team challenged Dipke's arrest as unlawful, violation of fundamental rights
• Police detained 150 protesters citing law and order, deployed forces at Central Park

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has been released after being granted a conditional bail as he was detained near his residence on Friday as he headed to join the CJP's Lehra Do Tiranga protest at Central Park in Connaught Place.

He was arrested on Saturday morning for allegedly violating a peace bond furnished by him on October 10. Dipke was released after signing another peace bond, Delhi Police said on Saturday.

He was produced before the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) court on Saturday in a fresh preventive proceeding related to breach of peace under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

The latest development comes after Ratna Singh, head of legal affairs for the CJP, challenged the legality of Dipke's arrest and urged the SEM court to order his immediate release, alleging violations of fundamental rights and due process.

In a post on X, Singh questioned how urging citizens to participate in a peaceful national demonstration could be treated as an offence.

"The SEM Court should release Abhijeet Dipke, as his arrest is unlawful. He merely urged people to unfurl the Tiranga - how can that by itself be a crime?" Singh wrote.

Abhijeet Dipke’s mother, Anita, said the family was anxious following his arrest, coming less than 10 days after his grandmother’s death. She expressed relief after learning that the CJP founder had been granted bail.

"Seeing on the news that he had been granted bail was a relief. We had been under a lot of stress since this morning," she said.

FRESH PREVENTIVE CASE AGAINST DIPKE

Delhi Police detained Dipke on Friday to prevent him from leading the scheduled Lehra Do Tiranga rally at Central Park in Connaught Place. Authorities had invoked Section 163 of the BNSS, imposing strict prohibitory orders against public assemblies in Central Delhi.

Police filed a case against Dipke under Sections 126 and 170 of the BNSS in a fresh preventive proceeding. The case is separate from an earlier preventive action on October 10, when police detained him inside a flight at Delhi airport and required him to sign a peace bond undertaking not to disturb the peace for one year.

The protests took place amid widespread demonstrations against the Election Commission over alleged irregularities in electoral roll revisions. Police reported detaining around 150 demonstrators and registering several FIRs over violations of prohibitory orders after crowds assembled despite public warnings.

CJP activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka are already in judicial custody after they tried to enter the Jantar Mantar area.

NEHA BORA RELEASED AFTER DETENTION

All India Students' Association (AISA) president Neha Bora was also taken into preventive custody during the 'Lehra Do Tiranga' protest march at Connaught Place on Friday.

Police sources said officers detained Bora at Mandi House and Dipke at Jhandewalan as they headed towards Connaught Place.

Bora was released early Saturday morning after completing the formalities related to her detention under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act.

After her release, Bora criticised Delhi Police and the BJP government at the Centre, calling the detentions "illegal". She demanded an end to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, impeachment and imprisonment.

"I was detained at Mandi House and kept here (at the police station) the whole night, until 5 am. Why are you (police) carrying out these illegal detentions? These things have been happening in this country for a long time, and this movement has clearly shown that such detentions are taking place. It has brought these kinds of detentions to light. They claim that they adhere to law and order and go by the book, but none of that is happening," Bora told PTI Videos.

The AISA president also demanded the immediate release of all protesters who had been detained or arrested, including Dipke.

AISA also said its campaign for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the rollback of the SIR exercise would continue.

POLICE CITE LAW AND ORDER CONCERNS

Delhi Police said they detained around 150 people to maintain law and order and ensure smooth traffic movement.

Security personnel cordoned off Central Park in Connaught Place, with Rapid Action Force personnel deployed inside the park and additional forces stationed in the area.

The protests came amid continued demonstrations by Opposition leaders, INDIA bloc parties and student organisations against the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and its handling of the electoral process.

- Ends