New Delhi, Oct 10: Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, along with party members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, was detained at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday ahead of a planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Around 200 people were also detained from Jantar Mantar and surrounding areas as Delhi Police tightened security across the national capital.
Police personnel entered the aircraft carrying Dipke after it landed at the airport and detained the three CJP members from the flight, according to reports. Dipke shared a video of the incident on social media in which he was heard telling the police, “I have come here to be arrested; arrest me.”
The CJP also announced the detentions through its social media account, naming Dipke, Das and Ranka. Dipke had travelled from Mumbai to Delhi earlier in the morning to lead the proposed demonstration at Jantar Mantar.
The protest was planned against CEC Kumar over allegations of irregularities in the SIR exercise across the country. The detentions at the airport preceded the gathering in central Delhi, where police subsequently detained around 200 people, officials said.
Social media influencer and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was also detained at his residence in Gurugram ahead of the planned demonstration. A post on the CJP’s X account claimed that around 50 police personnel in plain clothes reached his residence at about 8 a.m. and took him into custody. Rathee had participated in a protest against the SIR of electoral rolls in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Delhi Police stepped up security measures at several locations ahead of the CJP-led protest. Officials checked vehicles entering the capital at its borders, while police personnel carried body cameras to record any incidents during the demonstration.
Authorities also strengthened security arrangements outside the residences of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Drone surveillance was deployed at key locations as police prepared for the planned gathering.
Several Metro stations, including Supreme Court and Mandi House, were closed as part of the security measures.
Security was also intensified at New Delhi Railway Station, where Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed across the premises. Police conducted security marches and used drones to monitor the area.
The detentions and security restrictions came as the CJP prepared to demonstrate against the electoral roll revision process. The allegations against the SIR exercise formed the stated basis of the protest, while the supplied reports did not detail the specific irregularities alleged or provide a response from the Election Commission to the claims.
