Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, was granted conditional bail by a Special Executive Magistrate court in Delhi on Saturday after being arrested in a case related to alleged apprehension of breach of peace. He was released after signing a bond to maintain peace, according to the report.
Delhi Police had detained Dipke ahead of a proposed ‘Lahra Do Tiranga’ march at Connaught Place. The police later completed detention-related formalities under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act and arrested him in a new case under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, the report said. He was produced before the Special Executive Magistrate court on Saturday, which granted him conditional bail.
The order required Dipke to furnish a bond for maintaining peace before his release. After leaving custody, he went to the residence of Anish Gawande, a spokesperson for the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, and remained in Delhi, according to the report.
The case followed a day of detentions and demonstrations in central Delhi. Police detained about 150 protesters on Friday, including Dipke and Neha Bora, president of the All India Students’ Association. Dipke was taken to the Jaffarpur Kalan police station, while protesters marched through the inner circle of Connaught Place before dispersing and regrouping at different locations.
The protesters raised slogans including ‘Jai Hind’ and some sang the national anthem, the report said. Students and members of AISA and the Students’ Federation of India also demonstrated at Mandi House. Their demands included the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, withdrawal of the special intensive revision of electoral rolls and repeal of the law concerning the appointment of election commissioners.
Left leaders, including MPs John Brittas and Santhosh Kumar, participated in the march with the Democratic Youth Federation of India, according to the report. Police and protesters had minor confrontations while officers tried to clear the demonstrators. Journalists and independent YouTube reporters were present to cover the protests, and the report also mentioned pushing and heckling involving some independent journalists.
Bora, who was later released, alleged that she had been detained from Mandi House and kept at a police station until 5 am. She criticised the detention as unlawful and questioned the police action. The report did not include a separate response from the Delhi Police to those allegations.
Dipke had previously been detained at Delhi airport on 10 October in another case relating to apprehension of breach of peace. At that time, he was made to sign a bond to maintain peace for one year, while Bora was also detained and later released. The latest court order has resulted in Dipke’s release after he signed the required bond.
