NEW DELHI: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was released on Saturday after signing a peace bond for the second time, Delhi Police said. He had been taken into custody earlier in the day.
Dipke was stopped by police near his residence on Friday as he was heading to Central Park in Connaught Place to take part in the “Lehra Do Tiranga” protest. He had previously been detained on October 10, when he signed a bond undertaking not to engage in activities that could disturb public peace. Police have now alleged that he violated that bond and registered a fresh case. He was produced before a court on Saturday and booked under several sections as a preventive measure to maintain law and order.
CJP challenges arrest
CJP legal wing head Ratna Singh questioned the arrest and urged the court to order Dipke’s immediate release. She asked how a call for people to hoist the national flag peacefully could constitute an offence, and alleged that the arrest was unlawful.
Restrictions and detentions
Police had taken pre-emptive steps to prevent the demonstration at Connaught Place, imposing restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to prohibit large gatherings in central Delhi. Despite this, people turned up for the protest, and police detained around 150 of them. Cases were also registered against several people for violating the restrictions.
Delhi Police said the detentions were made to maintain law and order and ensure smooth traffic movement in the city. Security was heavy around Central Park, with Rapid Action Force personnel stationed inside the park and additional personnel kept on standby nearby.
AISA president detained
All India Students Association (AISA) president Neha Bora, who participated in the protest, was also detained. Police stopped her near Mandi House, kept her at a police station overnight and released her at 5 am on Saturday. Bora alleged that she had been illegally detained and demanded the immediate release of all detained and arrested protesters, including Dipke.
She also called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and a halt to the revision of the voter list. AISA said its agitation would continue.
Background
The developments come amid continuing protests by opposition parties and student organisations against the Election Commission’s revision of electoral rolls, with the groups alleging irregularities in the process.