CJP's Dipke, Das and Ranka released on condition to 'maintain peace' for one year

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were under preventive arrest following their detention ahead of the Jantar Mantar protest, but were later released after being produced before the executive magistrate on Sunday.

The trio were detained by police inside an aircraft shortly after their flight from Mumbai landed in Delhi on Saturday ahead of a planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

They were released on condition that they would not "breach peace" for a year, CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh said.

Earlier on Sunday morning, police said the CJP leaders were put under preventive arrest after their flight landed in the national capital. Section 126 (security for keeping peace) and 170 (arrest to prevent commission of cognisable offences) of the BNSS were invoked against the CJP leaders.

In a post on X, Delhi Police said, "Preventive arrest u/s 126/170 BNSS of Sh. Abhijeet Dipke, Sh. Ashutosh Ranka and Sh. Saurav Das was done on 10.10.2026. All due legal procedures were followed and they were produced before the SEM Court, Delhi Cantt on 11.10.2026."

A bail bond as surety bond of Rs 50,000 was filled for maintaining peace and good behaviour, for a period of one year, and they were released by the SEM Court.

CJP legal affairs head Singh confirmed on X that the three leaders have been released. "Executive Magistrate court releases Abhijeet, Saurav and Ashutosh," she posted on X.

The CJP leaders' detention on Saturday came amid an unprecedented security clampdown in Delhi, where over 7,000 protesters were detained at multiple locations, foiling protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar.

Before the detention, police personnel told the CJP leaders that they did not have permission to hold their protest at Jantar Mantar.

Dipke said CJP leaders were being detained as if they were criminals. He said that even former prime minister Indira Gandhi had not done this, adding that it amounted to dictatorship.

In the video, Dipke is heard alleging: "This is the fear of Narendra Modi... Not even Indira Gandhi did this during the Emergency. All we wanted to do is a peaceful protest, and they are picking us up from the flight like we are criminals."

"This is dictatorship, where Delhi Police has entered the flight and is trying to arrest us. Come on, arrest us. We are here to be arrested. Come on, arrest us. We are here to be arrested... We are not afraid of you," he said.

New Delhi virtually turned khaki on Saturday, with more than 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel deployed ahead of the CJP protest.

Several opposition leaders, including former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar, were also detained while attempting to join the protest.

The CJP has renewed its call for a protest at Jantar Mantar on Sunday as police continued its heavy security arrangements. The CJP and opposition parties have been demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls.