CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke detained at Delhi airport as grandmother dies in Hingoli
Synopsis
Delhi Police boarded a landed aircraft at IGI Airport to detain CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke before he could reach a planned protest against the Chief Election Commissioner — all while his grandmother lay dead in a Maharashtra village. The twin developments put a human spotlight on an escalating confrontation over alleged voter-roll irregularities.
Key Takeaways
Abhijeet Dipke , founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) , was detained at Indira Gandhi International Airport by Delhi Police on 10 October aboard the aircraft itself.
Fellow CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were also detained at the same time.
The trio were headed to a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Dipke's paternal grandmother passed away on the same day in Santuk Pimpri village , Hingoli district , Maharashtra, due to prolonged illness and age-related ailments.
His parents, stationed in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar under police watch, are expected to travel to Hingoli for the last rites.
Whether Delhi Police will allow Dipke to attend the funeral remained unclear at the time of reporting.
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), was detained by Delhi Police at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Saturday, 10 October, even as news arrived that his grandmother had passed away in Santuk Pimpri village of Maharashtra's Hingoli district. The detention came ahead of a planned CJP protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Detention at IGIA
Delhi Police personnel reportedly boarded the aircraft carrying Dipke immediately after it landed at IGI Airport, detaining him along with fellow CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka before they could disembark. Dipke recorded a video of the incident from inside the aircraft, which he later shared on his social media handle. In the clip, he can be heard telling police officers, '...I have come here to be arrested; arrest me.'
The CJP subsequently announced the three detentions on its own social media handle, posting: 'Abhijeet Dipke DETAINED! Saurav Das DETAINED! Ashutosh Ranka DETAINED!' The activists had arrived in Delhi ahead of the announced protest against the CEC over what the party has described as large-scale irregularities in the ongoing special revision of voter rolls across the country.
Grandmother's Death in Hingoli
Dipke's paternal grandmother — the mother of his father, Bhagwan Dipke — passed away on Saturday in Santuk Pimpri, according to reports. She had been unwell for several days due to a prolonged illness compounded by age-related ailments. Dipke had left Mumbai on Saturday morning for Delhi, and was reportedly unaware of the deteriorating situation at home before his detention.
His parents, Anita and Bhagwan Dipke, were in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar when the news broke, with police personnel deployed outside their residence. They are expected to travel to Hingoli to attend the last rites. As of the time of reporting, it was unclear whether Delhi Police would permit Abhijeet Dipke to travel to Hingoli or Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to be with his family.
The Protest and Its Context
The CJP's planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar was directed at CEC Gyanesh Kumar, whom the party accuses of overseeing alleged irregularities during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Critics argue the SIR process has led to disputed deletions and additions of voter names in several states, raising concerns about electoral integrity ahead of upcoming state elections. The detention of the protest organisers before they could reach the venue effectively pre-empted the demonstration.
This is not the first time activists heading to Delhi for electoral-roll protests have faced preventive detentions. Notably, such pre-emptive measures have drawn criticism from civil society groups who argue they impede the constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
What Happens Next
Details regarding Dipke's release or travel arrangements were not immediately available. The dual pressure of a family bereavement and an ongoing detention raises questions about what humanitarian accommodation, if any, Delhi Police will extend. The CJP has indicated it will continue to pursue its campaign against what it describes as flawed electoral roll revision, regardless of Saturday's disruptions.
Point of View
One that will invite scrutiny under Article 19's free-assembly guarantees. The timing is doubly uncomfortable: preventing a man from attending his grandmother's funeral while in preventive detention is the kind of optic that tends to overshadow whatever legal justification authorities offer. The deeper issue, however, is the SIR protest itself — if civil society groups are being stopped before they can even assemble, the voter-roll irregularities they claim to document remain uncontested in the public square. That silence rarely serves democratic accountability.
NationPress
10 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Abhijeet Dipke detained at Delhi airport?
Abhijeet Dipke was detained by Delhi Police at Indira Gandhi International Airport on 10 October to prevent him from participating in a planned CJP protest at Jantar Mantar. The protest was directed against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Who else was detained along with Abhijeet Dipke?
Fellow CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at the same time and place, reportedly from inside the aircraft before it could be disembarked. The CJP announced all three detentions on its social media handle.
What happened to Abhijeet Dipke's grandmother?
Dipke's paternal grandmother passed away on Saturday, 10 October, in Santuk Pimpri village of Maharashtra's Hingoli district after a prolonged illness and age-related ailments. She was the mother of his father, Bhagwan Dipke.
What is the CJP's protest about?
The Cockroach Janata Party planned to demonstrate at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging serious irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being conducted across the country. Critics argue the SIR has led to disputed voter-name deletions and additions in several states.
Will Dipke be allowed to attend his grandmother's last rites?
As of the time of reporting, no details were available on whether Delhi Police would permit Abhijeet Dipke to travel to Hingoli or Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to be with his family. His parents were expected to leave for Hingoli immediately to attend the last rites.
