- Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were preventively arrested by Delhi Police on Saturday, October 10.
- They were produced before an Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantonment Police Station at 9 am on Sunday.
- Police had refused permission for the Jantar Mantar protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing short notice.
- The party has called another gathering at Jantar Mantar for 10 am Sunday.
Delhi Police preventively arrested CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka on Saturday. Officers boarded their flight from Mumbai at Indira Gandhi International Airport shortly after it landed.
The three were produced before an Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantonment Police Station at 9 am on Sunday, October 11.
They had flown in for a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. That protest never got going.
ThePrint's live blog puts the detention at about 10:30 am. India TV reported that the three were then driven to three different locations rather than held together. NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule criticised the move, and the CJP called it a violation of freedom of movement and asked for their unconditional release.
Police used Sections 107 and 151 of the erstwhile Code of Criminal Procedure, citing public order, according to IANS. These are preventive provisions. They let police act when they expect a breach of peace, so no offence has to have happened yet.
No criminal charge over Saturday's events has been reported. Preventive detention of this kind is usually time-bound, and the magistrate can direct release, ask for a bond, or order further steps.
Any such direction had not been reported at the time of writing.
Joint Commissioner of Police Nupur Prasad said the CJP's application arrived on October 7, three days before the protest. The rule, she said, is at least ten days. Police also alleged the group had not followed directions during an earlier demonstration.
The CJP's complaint is about the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. It alleges voters were deleted and the process was manipulated, and it wants Kumar out. The Election Commission and the BJP reject the manipulation charge and describe the revision as a voter-verification exercise.
Around 25,000 police and paramilitary personnel were put on the streets, with more than 120 companies of Central Armed Police Forces assisting. New Delhi district was split into 20 zones, each under a senior officer. Mock drills were held beforehand.
Entry and exit at 45 Metro stations, among them Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Mandi House and ITO, were shut from Friday night. Several trains to and from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin between 4 am and 2 pm were reportedly cancelled. Borders, railway stations and bus terminals saw extra checks.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said the restrictions would stay until further notice on Saturday. Interchange remained available at the affected stations, except New Delhi, where restrictions applied. Commuters heading to offices and hospitals in the central districts had to find another way in.
On Friday, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan had asked police chiefs in every state and Union Territory to prevent what he called unauthorised entry of CJP members and supporters into the capital.
Police said around 150 people had been picked up by Saturday morning. Later reports said thousands, with stadiums used as holding sites. ThePrint listed CJP spokesperson and lawyer Ratna Singh and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee among the early detentions. CPI(M)'s Brinda Karat and AAP's Gopal Rai were also taken into custody.
Protesters near Bangla Sahib Gurdwara told reporters they were held for hours despite shouting only peaceful slogans.
In court, the Saket Court dismissed Singh's plea for an FIR against the police personnel who stopped her outside her home as she was heading to the Supreme Court for a lawyers' protest. A separate petition challenging the legality of the mass detentions has been filed. No ruling yet. India TV's live blog carried the BJP's description of the whole agitation as a "flop show."
In July, the CJP's "Sansad Chalo" march over the NEET-UG paper leak turned into clashes near Parliament.
Police reported injuries to their personnel. The party alleged excessive force.
Mumbai Police have separately registered a case against Dipke, Das, Ranka and over 400 unidentified supporters after a protest there.
Earlier this week Das posted on X that the government planned to arrest him, Dipke, Ranka and others before October 10.
Ajinkya Shinde, the CJP's organisation in-charge, was due to lead a fresh gathering at Jantar Mantar at 10 am.
At a press conference he said supporters would march there again and stay until the party's demands are met.
Police have not said whether they will allow it.
