Where are Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das? CJP gives big update after flight detention

Delhi Police have placed Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, and Saurav Das under preventive arrest and will produce them before the executive magistrate at the Delhi Cantt Police Station at 9 AM on Sunday (Oct 11). The information was shared on social media by CJP's legal team head Ratna Singh, who was also detained on Saturday (Oct 10), but was later released. The three leaders of CJP were detained directly from inside an aircraft by the Delhi Police after their flight landed at the Delhi airport. The detention came as the leaders arrived to lead Jantar Mantar 2.0 protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The whereabouts of the leaders were not known since they were detained.

What are the charges on the CJP leaders?

According to Singh, defence advocates will be present at the police station during the proceedings before the magistrate. She also said that the leaders are charged under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) - that empowers a police officer to arrest an individual to make a preventive arrest without a warrant to maintain public peace and stop crimes before they happen.

What happened in Delhi on Oct 10?

The CJP called for a massive protest in Delhi's Jantar Mantar demanding resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar after an investigative report revealed irregularities within the EC with regards to Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The protest was supported by student organisations like the All India Students' Association (AISA) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI). Delhi Police denied permission for the protest and, anticipating the demonstration, tightened security across the city and imposed movement restrictions around Jantar Mantar. As many as 3000 people were detained, including Youtuber Dhruv Rathee, AISA National President Neha Bora, four former Chief Ministers: AAP's Arvind Kejriwal, TMC founder Mamata Banerjee, and Left leaders Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar. Around 50 to 60 lawyers, including criminal lawyer Mehmood Parcha marching toward Jantar Mantar from the Supreme Court were also detained.

Central Delhi was transformed into a strict fortress with Delhi Metro services put to halt at several stations. The entry/exit gates of 45 Delhi Metro stations, including major hubs like Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, and Kashmere Gate were shut. Dozens of trains arriving at New Delhi Railway Station and Hazrat Nizamuddin station were also cancelled. Major public spaces and markets, including Dilli Haat, were closed down. Videos on social media showed Delhi Police baton-charging protesters and forcefully detaining them. Videos also showed Delhi Police personnel allegedly pulling the hair and dragging women protesters on the street. While most of these people were released later at night, CJP leadership and Dhruv Rathee remains in detention.