Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was granted conditional bail on Saturday, a day after he was detained by Delhi Police while heading to Connaught Place for a planned national flag march.
Dipke was produced before a Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg, who granted him bail on a conditional bond. One of the conditions requires him to ensure that he does not breach the peace for one year. Further conditions are expected to be specified in the written order.
Dipke walks out of Mandir Marg Police Station in the evening.
According to news agency PTI, Dipke was arrested on Saturday morning for allegedly violating a peace bond he had furnished on 10 October.
The action against him followed the CJP’s call for a “Lehra Do Tiranga” march at 5pm on Friday in Central Park at Connaught Place. Delhi Police had served him a notice just hours before the planned march, asking him not to participate. The notice cited prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Dipke nevertheless left for Connaught Place on Friday evening and was detained shortly afterwards. He was subsequently arrested under preventive provisions.
CJP national organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde said on Friday night that the party had been unable to establish Dipke’s whereabouts after his detention.
“It has been more than eight hours since he (Abhijeet Dipke) was detained, yet we still do not know his whereabouts. They are not letting him speak to either a lawyer or our team. We have been unable to ascertain the grounds for his detention,” ANI quoted Shinde as saying.
AISA activist released on bail
All India Students’ Association (AISA) activist Neha Bora was also detained near Mandi House on Friday. Both AISA and CJP had subsequently claimed that they could not determine the whereabouts of Bora and Dipke.
Bora was released on bail earlier on Saturday after formal procedures under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act.
According to Delhi Police, around 150 people were detained on Friday to maintain law and order and ensure smooth traffic movement.
Two CJP leaders remain in judicial custody
While Dipke has been granted bail, CJP co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka remain in judicial custody.
A Special Executive Magistrate sent the two leaders to five days of judicial custody on Wednesday, a day after they and several other CJP members entered Jantar Mantar by climbing over a locked gate. The protest site had previously been de-notified as a designated venue for demonstrations.
Das, Ranka and 12 others were detained early on Tuesday, 13 October. CJP national organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde and 11 others were later released, while Das and Ranka were remanded to judicial custody.
According to their lawyer, Delhi Police have accused Das and Ranka of criminal trespass and violating a previous peace bond. The bond had been signed by the accused before a Special Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantt Police Station on Sunday, with a commitment not to breach the peace.
CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde was subsequently released on a personal bond.
Congress gets clearance for Ramlila Maidan rally
Meanwhile, Delhi Police issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the Congress on Saturday for holding a rally at Ramlila Maidan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Central, Rohit Rajbir Singh, told ANI.
The ground will be booked for the party from 25 October to 3 November, he said.
The approval comes after Jantar Mantar was de-notified as a designated venue for protests and demonstrations in Delhi. Police have designated three alternative locations for such activities: Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi.
Singh said the Congress had first approached the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to check the venue’s availability. The MCD informed the party that the ground would be available from 25 October to 3 November.
“After receiving the venue availability certificate, the Congress party approached us,” he said.
Following discussions with party representatives about the security arrangements required, Delhi Police issued the NOC on Saturday.
The Congress will now submit the certificate to the MCD, the agency responsible for the land, before beginning preparations for the rally.
