CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke released after Delhi court order

Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), was released by an Indian court on Saturday, one day after being detained for attempting to lead a protest rally in New Delhi. Dipke was taken into custody on Friday as he left his residence in Jhandewalan to participate in the CJP's 'Lehra Do Tiranga' rally in Connaught Place, a move police justified as a preventive measure to avoid a breach of the peace.

The CJP’s head of legal affairs, Ratna Singh, confirmed that Dipke was released after agreeing to specific court-imposed conditions, though she did not disclose the terms. Singh had previously described the founder's detention as a 'kidnapping,' noting that his lawyers and family were initially kept in the dark about his whereabouts. Simultaneously, prominent student activist Neha Bora, who had also been detained on Friday while heading to central Delhi, was released earlier in the day.

The release follows a week of heightened tensions in which the CJP and opposition parties defied a security crackdown to demand the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner. CJP co-conveners Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das are currently serving five-day jail sentences for allegedly violating prohibitory orders during demonstrations, which they framed as a stand for the right to carry the national flag in public spaces.

During Friday's incident, hundreds of protesters gathered in Connaught Place despite a heavy police deployment, waving the Indian tricolor in defiance of orders. Police detained approximately 150 demonstrators during the rally, as the CJP continued to criticize authorities for restricting assembly and targeting young people for political confrontation.