Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh were on the way to Jantar Mantar for the protests when they were detained on Saturday (October 10, 2026). (Screengrab: X/@Cockroachisback)
Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained when they landed in Delhi to attend the protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday (October 10, 2026).
Earlier, CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh told The Hindu on Saturday (October 10, 2026) that she had been detained outside her residence in Jangpura, New Delhi, amid a police crackdown ahead of a planned protest in the national capital. Delhi Police detained over 500 protesters across the city ahead of Saturday’s (October 10, 2026) demonstration.
“Delhi Police officials arrived at my residence around 8.45 a.m. They wanted to barge into my residence. But my flatmate, who is also a lawyer, stopped them from entering by telling them that they cannot enter or search my house without a warrant,” Ms. Singh said.
She said she was sitting in a friend’s car outside her residence along with two lawyers, surrounded by Delhi Police personnel.
“They have surrounded us. Our car has been blocked by Delhi Police personnel from all around. CRPF personnel are also around us,” she said.
Ms. Singh said Delhi Police personnel had told her that there were “verbal orders from above” requiring her detention at her residence.
She added that CJP representatives intended to move an application before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM), through advocate Adit Pujari, challenging what she described as her “illegal detention”.
“They have not produced any warrant or orders. We were just three people, so we don’t even fall within the definition of an unlawful assembly,” she said.
Ms. Singh said she had been on her way to join a gathering of lawyers who intended to protest outside the Supreme Court ahead of a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
“This pre-planned interception by the Delhi Police aims to cripple the leadership of today’s peaceful demonstrations before they even reach the protest site. The CJP denounces this blatant violation of freedom of movement and demands the immediate, unconditional release of Dipke, Das, and Ranka,” the CJP said in a statement.
The protest, called by the CJP and several Left organisations, seeks to intensify demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the rollback of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Published – October 10, 2026 11:28 am IST
