Delhi Police detain Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke from flight ahead of protest

Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and two party members from a flight shortly after it landed in Delhi on Saturday morning, triggering a heated exchange between the protesters and police personnel.

Dipke went live on Instagram as police officers boarded the aircraft and detained him, along with CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. The video showed a commotion inside the plane, with the party members questioning why the police had not waited for them to get off.

“You could have waited till we came out. Come arrest us, we are not afraid,” Dipke was heard telling the women police officers who entered the aircraft.

Dipke had travelled from Mumbai to Delhi to lead a planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar.

In a statement, the CJP condemned what it called the “authoritarian detention” of its three members, alleging that the police action was intended to prevent the party’s leadership from reaching the protest venue.

The party described the detentions as a pre-planned move to disrupt a peaceful demonstration before it could begin. It also accused the police of violating their freedom of movement and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Dipke, Das and Ranka.