The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has accused Delhi Police of engaging in “petty politics” following the death of founder Abhijeet Dipke’s grandmother, claiming that his family and the party’s legal team were not informed about his whereabouts after he was detained in the national capital on Saturday.
The controversy erupted after police sources reportedly said Dipke had been informed about his grandmother’s death and could decide whether to remain in custody during the planned protest or travel back to Maharashtra to attend her last rites.
Reacting to the developments, CJP expressed shock over the handling of the situation and raised concerns about Dipke’s safety, along with that of two other detained party leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.
“We are stunned by the Delhi Police playing such petty politics around the personal tragedy that Abhijeet Dipke and his family has suffered,” the party said in a post on X.
The party further alleged that neither Dipke’s relatives nor CJP’s lawyers had received any information about his location. It demanded that the police facilitate communication between the detained leader, his family and legal representatives.
CJP also called for Dipke’s immediate release, accusing the authorities of sharing information with the media instead of directly informing his family. The party subsequently criticised the Narendra Modi-led government, alleging that it was treating the country’s youth with contempt.
Abhijeet Dipke’s Grandmother Dies At 85 In Maharashtra
Dipke’s paternal grandmother, Savitribai Shankarrao Dipke, passed away at the age of 85 at her residence in Santuk Pimpri village in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district at around 11:30 am on Saturday.
Family sources said she had been suffering from a prolonged illness and had been unwell for approximately a month. She had also received treatment at a hospital in Hingoli before returning home.
Her last rites are scheduled to take place at 10 am on Sunday.
Dipke’s cousin said the family had been unable to establish contact with him because he was detained in Delhi. His parents had been informed of the death and were travelling to their native village.
According to the cousin, Dipke had visited his grandmother on August 15, when he launched the ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign in Hingoli district. He met her once again after that visit, but family members said he had not seen her during the last 20–25 days.
The circumstances surrounding his detention have now added to the family’s distress, with CJP insisting that Dipke should be allowed to communicate with his relatives during the bereavement.
CJP Leaders Detained Before ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’ Protest
Dipke, CJP co-convenor Saurav Das and party leader Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi Police on Saturday after arriving in the national capital from Mumbai.
The three leaders had travelled to Delhi for the party’s proposed ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’ demonstration, which was intended to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Delhi Police had refused permission for the planned protest, citing concerns related to public safety, traffic management and the maintenance of law and order.
