Delhi Police pulled three Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders straight off an incoming flight from Mumbai and split them into three separate, undisclosed locations. Abhijeet Dipke found himself in South Delhi, Saurav Das in Delhi, and Ashutosh Ranka in Dwarka. The detention happened the moment the aircraft touched down at Indira Gandhi International Airport, cutting off the trio before they could even step onto the tarmac. Before the police made their move, officers made it clear that the planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar had no official permission.
The scene inside the plane was tense. In a video released by the CJP, Dipke is heard addressing the police officers who boarded the aircraft: "We are here to be arrested, come and arrest us." It was an open challenge. But the police response was swift and calculated, denying them the chance to organize on the ground. The CJP quickly framed the action as a blatant violation of the freedom of movement, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of its leaders.
Then came the personal twist, which the CJP later called "petty politics." According to ANI, citing Delhi Police sources, officers informed Dipke of his grandmother's death. The police reportedly gave him an ultimatum: stay in Delhi and continue the protest under detention, or return home to attend her last rites. The CJP was furious about how this information was handled. "Instead of leaking such information to the press, Delhi Police should allow Abhijeet’s family and lawyers to speak with him and release him IMMEDIATELY," the party posted. They accused the Modi-Shah government of treating the country's youth with contempt.
Despite the detention, the CJP refused to let the protest die. Dipke passed the baton to the organization's in-charge, Ajinkya Shinde, in a pre-recorded video released shortly after his arrest. Shinde is now set to lead the Jantar Mantar demonstration. The CJP is asserting that the nationwide protest will continue, with or without its detained leaders. Police have not yet commented publicly on the specific split locations or the exact legal grounds for the in-flight detention.