CJP leader 'detained' by police in Alwar, released after 100-km drive

CJP alleges Rajasthan Police detained and manhandled its functionary Deepak Baliyan, who is recovering from a leg fracture. Police deny seizing his phone

Baliyan and his family allege coercion and pressure to delete a livestream, while police say officers visited to explain restrictions under Section 163 of the BNSS

The incident comes ahead of the CJP's October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over alleged voter-list irregularities

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has accused Rajasthan Police of forcibly detaining its organisational co-in-charge, Deepak Baliyan, from his residence in Alwar district on Thursday night and manhandling him despite his recovering from a leg fracture. Police, however, have denied some of the allegations, describing the claim that Baliyan's mobile phone was seized as baseless.

Baliyan, a resident of Mankheda village under Kathumar police station, alleged on Friday that police personnel first placed him under house arrest before taking him away from his residence. He claimed that the officers later forced him to sign a written statement saying he had not been assaulted.

According to CJP co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka, Baliyan was taken from his home on 8 October and released late that night. Ranka alleged that police dragged the party functionary despite his fractured leg, causing further injuries.

In a post on X, Ranka said Baliyan had been taken on a journey of approximately 100 km before being dropped back at his residence. He also criticised the police over what he described as the treatment of Baliyan and his brother.

.Bengaluru: At CJP rally, Prakash Raj demands SIR rollback, crowd chants 'vote chor gaddi chhor'. "Some boundaries shouldn't be crossed, and it's good that Rajasthan Police realised that eventually," Ranka wrote.

In an earlier post, Ranka accused Rajasthan Police of behaving like "goons" over the alleged incident.

Kathumar Station House officer Chandra Shekhar Sharma offered a different account of the incident. He said a police team had visited Baliyan's residence on the directions of senior officers to inform him that Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was in force in Delhi and explain the restrictions to him.

Sharma said Baliyan was subsequently released and that his activities were being monitored. The SHO rejected the allegation that police had seized Baliyan's mobile phone, calling the claim baseless.

According to Baliyan's family, police personnel initially arrived at the house and informed him that the local SHO had summoned him. Baliyan then livestreamed the police action on social media, the family claimed.

The family alleged that the police team initially left but returned shortly afterwards and asked Baliyan to delete the video. When he refused, they took him into custody, it alleged.

The competing accounts have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the detention. The allegations of physical assault and coercion have not been independently established.

The incident comes ahead of a protest announced by the CJP at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on 10 October. The party has called for the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of irregularities in the handling of electoral rolls, including the alleged deletion of large numbers of voters' names.

The allegations form part of the party's broader campaign against the Election Commission's handling of voter lists. The commission's role in electoral roll revisions has also drawn criticism from other Opposition parties.

Ranka and other CJP representatives have alleged that police action against party volunteers and functionaries is intended to discourage people from travelling to Delhi for the demonstration. The police have not, in the statements cited above, confirmed that Baliyan's detention was connected to the planned protest.

The CJP has indicated that it intends to proceed with the 10 October demonstration despite the reported police action. Baliyan's allegations, the family's account of the livestream and the police's explanation remain central to the dispute over Thursday night's events.

With PTI inputs

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