CJP's Ajinkya Shinde takes charge of protest after Dipke, 1,000 others detained
Synopsis
Delhi Police detained CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka — from inside a flight at IGI Airport — and social media influencer Dhruv Rathee, while approximately 1,000 protesters were held across the capital. In a pre-recorded video, Dipke had already named Ajinkya Shinde as the movement's next leader, signalling the protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar will continue despite the sweeping crackdown.
Key Takeaways
Abhijeet Dipke , founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) , and co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained from a flight at IGI Airport, New Delhi on 10 October 2026 .
Ajinkya Shinde , CJP Organisation In-Charge, was named successor leader via a pre-recorded video posted on Dipke's X handle.
Social media influencer Dhruv Rathee was detained from his residence in Gurugram by approximately 50 plain-clothes police personnel at around 8 am .
Around 1,000 protesters were detained across New Delhi while heading to join the CJP agitation demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over alleged SIR irregularities .
Dipke's grandmother passed away on the same day in Hingoli district, Maharashtra ; Delhi Police informed him and said the decision to return rests with him.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke handed over leadership of the outfit's protest movement to Organisation In-Charge Ajinkya Shinde on Saturday, 10 October 2026, hours after Delhi Police detained him, along with co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, from a flight at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi. The CJP had called the agitation demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Pre-Recorded Video Triggers Leadership Handover
Shortly after the detentions, Dipke's X handle posted a pre-recorded video in which he addressed supporters directly. 'If you are watching this video, it means that I, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have been arrested. In our absence, Ajinkya will lead the protest and the CJP movement. All those of you who are watching this video please follow Ajinkya Shinde. He will be carrying forward the Cockroach Janta Party after Ashutosh, me and Saurav,' Dipke said in the clip.
Delhi Police personnel boarded the aircraft after it landed at IGI Airport and detained the three leaders from their seats. In a separate video posted on his social media handle, Dipke was heard telling the police, '...I have come here to be arrested; arrest me.' The CJP's official social media handle subsequently announced: 'Abhijeet Dipke DETAINED! Saurav Das DETAINED! Ashutosh Ranka DETAINED!'
Dhruv Rathee Among Those Detained
Social media influencer Dhruv Rathee was also detained from his residence in Gurugram on Saturday morning. According to a post on the CJP's X handle, around 50 police personnel in plain clothes arrived at Rathee's Gurugram home at approximately 8 am and took him into custody. Rathee had publicly associated himself with the CJP's campaign against the CEC.
Mass Detentions Across Delhi
According to officials, approximately 1,000 protesters were detained from various parts of the national capital on Saturday while making their way to join the CJP's agitation. The demonstrators were demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, citing what the party described as irregularities in the SIR process — a revision of electoral rolls that critics argue disproportionately affects certain voter demographics. This is one of the largest single-day mass detentions linked to an electoral-reform protest in recent memory.
Personal Tragedy Amid Detention
In a separate and significant development, Dipke's grandmother passed away on Saturday in Santuk Pimpri village of Hingoli district, Maharashtra. She had been unwell for several days due to a prolonged illness and age-related ailments. Delhi Police confirmed that Dipke had been informed of her passing. Officials indicated it was Dipke's choice whether to remain in detention to continue his protest or return to Maharashtra for the last rites.
What Happens Next
With Ajinkya Shinde now at the helm, the CJP's protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar is expected to continue despite the leadership vacuum created by Saturday's detentions. The scale of the police response — detaining the top three conveners at an airport, a prominent social media influencer, and roughly 1,000 street-level demonstrators — is likely to intensify political scrutiny over the use of preventive detention to curb electoral-reform agitations ahead of upcoming election cycles.
Point of View
000 demonstrators across Delhi — signals a calibrated effort to neutralise the CJP agitation before it could gain street momentum. What makes this politically significant is not just the scale but the timing: the protest targets the Chief Election Commissioner over electoral roll revisions, making any heavy-handed response a direct gift to the opposition narrative about the independence of election machinery. The pre-recorded video from Dipke is also a telling detail — it suggests the leadership anticipated detention and planned for continuity, framing the crackdown as confirmation of their warnings rather than a disruption. The personal tragedy of Dipke's grandmother's death, now entangled with his detention, adds a humanitarian dimension that is likely to amplify public sympathy and media coverage well beyond what a routine protest might generate.
NationPress
10 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were CJP leaders detained at IGI Airport on 10 October 2026?
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi Police at IGI Airport on 10 October 2026 as they arrived to lead a protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The CJP alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Police boarded the aircraft to detain them before they could disembark.
Who is Ajinkya Shinde and why is he leading the CJP protest?
Ajinkya Shinde is the Organisation In-Charge of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). He was named by founder Abhijeet Dipke in a pre-recorded video to lead the protest movement in the event of Dipke's detention, which materialised on Saturday. Shinde is now expected to head the CJP's agitation against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
What is the CJP's protest about?
The Cockroach Janta Party has been agitating for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Critics of the SIR argue the exercise could result in the disenfranchisement of certain voter groups. The protest brought demonstrators to Delhi from across the country on 10 October 2026.
Was Dhruv Rathee detained, and why?
Yes, social media influencer Dhruv Rathee was detained from his residence in Gurugram on the morning of 10 October 2026 by approximately 50 plain-clothes police personnel at around 8 am, according to a post on the CJP's X handle. Rathee had publicly aligned himself with the CJP's campaign against the Chief Election Commissioner.
What happened to Abhijeet Dipke's family during his detention?
Dipke's grandmother passed away on 10 October 2026 in Santuk Pimpri village of Hingoli district, Maharashtra, due to a prolonged illness and age-related ailments. Delhi Police confirmed they informed Dipke of her death and stated it was his decision whether to remain in detention to continue the protest or return home for the last rites.
