Delhi protests: Court orders release of CJP leaders after mass detentions
A court in New Delhi has ordered the release of three leaders associated with the satirical youth movement known as the Cockroach Janta Party, including its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, according to their lawyer.
The leaders were detained after arriving in the capital on Saturday, when the group planned a demonstration at Jantar Mantar calling for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign.
Lawyer Ratna Singh announced their release in a social media post on Sunday, saying an executive magistrate’s court had imposed a condition requiring them to maintain peace for one year.
The demonstration triggered a large security response, with thousands of police and paramilitary personnel deployed across Delhi. Mobile internet services were suspended in parts of the central business district, while several metro stations and markets were closed.
Reports differed slightly on the scale of the detentions. The Hindu, citing Delhi police sources, reported that nearly 2,500 people had been detained in the capital, while Reuters quoted a Union Home Ministry official putting the figure at around 2,000. The ANI news agency separately reported that approximately 600 people had been arrested in Mumbai.
The protesters were challenging the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have alleged that the exercise could disproportionately benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including in states where recent election results have been contested politically.
The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected allegations of wrongdoing. Kumar had not publicly responded to the latest accusations at the time of the report.
The episode has intensified debate over electoral transparency, protest rights and the handling of political demonstrations in India.