‘Throw us in jail a hundred times’: CJP activist Abhijeet Dipke alleges mistreatment in custody

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activist Abhijeet Dipke on October 11 accused the Delhi Police of mistreating him in custody, alleging that officers denied him access to his phone and lawyer after informing him of his grandmother’s death. The police, however, said they had offered him assistance on humanitarian grounds, including help with phone calls and travel arrangements.

Dipke, who was released along with fellow CJP activists Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das after being produced before an Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantt Police Station, said he would continue to protest despite the arrests.

CJP's head of legal affairs, Ratna Singh, confirmed their release in a post on X, stating that the condition imposed was that they must not breach the peace for one year.

Speaking to reporters after reaching Nagpur, Dipke accused the police of acting under political influence and said the arrests would not discourage him from opposing the government.

“They have no humanity—absolutely none. They are goons in uniform,” he alleged, accusing Union Home Minister Amit Shah of turning the police into “hooligans”.

Claiming that he had not signed any bond, Dipke said he would continue to take to the streets and challenged the authorities to arrest him repeatedly.

“Throw us in jail not just once, but a hundred times—we do not fear your dictatorship. We will put an end to your dictatorship,” he said.

Dipke alleged that he was denied the opportunity to contact his family and lawyer after being informed of his grandmother's death while in detention.

Dipke's paternal grandmother, Savitribai Shankarrao Dipke, 85, died in Santuk Pimpri village in Maharashtra's Hingoli district following a prolonged illness and age-related ailments.

Recounting the incident, Dipke said police officers informed him of the death but refused his request to use his phone to contact his cousin in the village.

He also alleged that he was not allowed to speak to his lawyer, despite requesting access to legal counsel.

Dipke further questioned the circumstances under which he was asked to inform his parents about his arrest in the early hours of the morning.

According to him, officers asked him to call his parents at around 3.30 am and tell them he had been arrested. He said the timing was insensitive, as his family was already grieving his grandmother's death.

He accused the police of causing additional distress to his parents, who were dealing with the loss of a family member.

Rejecting Dipke's allegations, Delhi Police said officers had informed him about his grandmother's death and offered assistance to help him reach his hometown.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Neha Yadav said officers approached Dipke as soon as they received information about the death and asked whether he needed help with flights, phone calls or other arrangements.

She said officers repeatedly asked him whether he wanted to speak to his parents, but he declined the offer.

The contrasting accounts come amid allegations by Dipke of mistreatment in custody and the police's assertion that they acted sensitively in informing him about the bereavement. Dipke said he was heading to his village to be with his family.

The preventive arrests took place after the CJP called for a protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The demonstration witnessed a heavy police deployment and the detention of multiple protesters.

Before the protest, Dipke had said October 10 would mark “the beginning of the end of this dictatorship”, signalling the party's intention to continue its campaign against the government.