Can An Unregistered Political Party Raise Funds? RTI Activist Questions CJP's Status, Seeks Probe Into Abhijeet Dipke's Foreign Education Funding

A Surat-based Right to Information (RTI) activist has sought multiple inquiries into the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), questioning both its legal status as a political organisation and the financial background of its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, including how his higher education in the United States was funded.

RTI activist Tushar Tiwari has written to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Maharashtra government and tax authorities, urging them to examine whether the unregistered outfit can function as a political party and receive funds while also seeking a probe into Dipke's family's finances.

Questions Raised Over CJP's Legal Status

A key issue raised by Tiwari concerns the legal status of the Cockroach Janta Party.

In his representation to the Election Commission, he questioned whether CJP, which is not registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, can legally function as a political party and collect or receive funds.

Referring to the proposed ₹1 crore legal defence fund announced by Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal for CJP protesters, Tiwari urged the poll body to verify whether such funds could be received by an unregistered political entity.

"If not registered, then its operation under the name of a political party and collection or receipt of funds may require examination," Tiwari said.

Funding Of Foreign Education Also Under Scanner

Tiwari has also sought an inquiry into the financial background of Dipke's father, Bhagwanrao Dipke, a retired Junior Engineer with the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).

According to the complaint, Bhagwanrao Dipke reportedly earned a monthly salary of around ₹60,000 to ₹65,000 during his service. Tiwari questioned how the family financed Abhijeet Dipke's higher education in the United States, where he pursued an MS in Public Relations at Boston University.

The activist has also called for an examination into whether there are any disproportionate assets linked to the family.

Authorities Asked To Examine GST Implications

Apart from the Election Commission, Tiwari has approached the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), seeking clarity on whether Goods and Services Tax (GST) provisions would apply to the proposed ₹1 crore legal defence fund announced by Kapil Sibal.

He has also written to the Maharashtra government requesting that the financial aspects highlighted in his complaint be examined.

No Official Findings Yet

Publicly available biographical information states that Abhijeet Dipke comes from a middle-class family, with his father employed as an engineer in a Maharashtra government undertaking and his mother a homemaker. Some accounts have also suggested that the family took an education loan to support his studies abroad, though the exact funding mechanism including loans, scholarships, savings or other financial assistance has not been officially verified.

As of now, Tiwari's representations remain requests for investigation. No authority has announced the initiation or outcome of any official inquiry into Dipke's education funding, the family's finances, CJP's legal status or the proposed legal defence fund.