YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was released early Sunday morning after being detained from his Gurugram residence, while the top CJP leadership faced preventive action.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, October 11: All three Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders—Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka—and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee were released on Sunday, as the youth-led group’s protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation entered its second day amid a heavy security deployment across the national capital.
Dipke, Das and Ranka were released after being produced before an Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantt Police Station, where they had been brought following their detention on Saturday. The three were held under preventive provisions after Delhi Police intercepted them inside an aircraft shortly after their flight from Mumbai landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The leaders had been travelling to Delhi ahead of the CJP’s planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar against alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Rathee, who was detained from his residence in Gurugram’s Sector 56 on Saturday, was released around 3 am on Sunday, according to reports citing police sources.
The four releases came as the CJP called for a second consecutive day of demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, despite Delhi Police denying permission for the gathering and maintaining stringent security arrangements across the capital.
Leaders Detained at Airport
Dipke, Das and Ranka were detained from inside their aircraft after arriving from Mumbai on Saturday. Their detention became a flashpoint in the confrontation between the CJP and the authorities, with the party accusing the police of attempting to cripple its leadership ahead of the protest.
The three were held under Sections 107 and 151 of the erstwhile Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which provide for preventive action to avert a potential breach of peace. They were subsequently produced before an Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantt Police Station on Sunday.
Their release followed the magistrate proceedings. The precise terms of the release, including whether any bond or undertaking was required, were not immediately available.
Rathee’s detention had also attracted attention because of his prominent online following and public support for the agitation. He was released in the early hours of Sunday after spending several hours in custody.
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CJP Calls for Fresh Mobilisation
Despite the release of its leaders, the CJP maintained its call for a second day of protests, with national organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde urging supporters to assemble at Jantar Mantar.
The party is demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise, which has become a major political flashpoint. Critics contend that the revision risks disenfranchising eligible voters, while the Election Commission maintains that it is intended to remove duplicate, ineligible and otherwise invalid entries.
Delhi Police denied permission for Saturday’s demonstration, citing public-order concerns, the short notice provided by organisers and alleged non-compliance with conditions during previous protests.
Authorities deployed a large contingent of police and paramilitary personnel, barricaded roads leading to Jantar Mantar and imposed restrictions at several metro stations. Protesters attempting to assemble at alternative locations were also intercepted, while thousands were detained across Delhi during Saturday’s operation.
Most of those detained were released by Saturday night, according to police accounts, although estimates of the total number detained varied across reports.
Crackdown Sparks Questions
The detentions and extensive security restrictions prompted criticism from opposition leaders and civil society groups, who questioned whether the authorities were using preventive powers disproportionately to stop a political demonstration.
Police defended their actions on public-order grounds, citing the absence of permission for the gathering and concerns about possible violence.
The CJP, however, has maintained that it will continue its agitation until its demand for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation is addressed.
With all four prominent figures now released, attention has shifted to whether the group will be able to sustain its mobilisation on Sunday despite the continuing restrictions around Jantar Mantar and the possibility of further preventive action against demonstrators.
