New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party on Sunday vowed to intensify its agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, even as around 200 people were detained while protests were held at several places in the New Delhi area that remained under a security chokehold.
The Supreme Court on Sunday directed that people gathering peacefully should not be illegally detained and asked authorities to ensure that the Delhi Metro functions normally and there is no disruption to internet services, subject to law and order conditions.
In a special sitting, a bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also issued a notice to the Centre while hearing a plea seeking contempt proceedings for the alleged violation of the court’s direction to ensure that there is no “complete prohibition” on metro and train services in Delhi due to the CJP protest.
Earlier in the day, CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were released on the condition that they would not “breach peace” for a year.
At a press conference, Das alleged that the government had turned the state against its own citizens and said the authorities could have invited a delegation for talks instead of restricting protesters seeking to demonstrate at a designated site.
He claimed that Delhi Police officials took away their phones during their detention without issuing any seizure memo, raising concerns that the devices may have been hacked or cloned.
“We suspect that, as alleged in similar cases involving activists in the past, their phones could have been hacked or cloned to plant documents or other material that might later be used as evidence against us,” he said during the press conference.
He said that the CJP’s agitation was continuing, adding that protests would take place not just in Delhi but across the country.
“The protests are on… Protests will happen not just in Delhi but the whole country,” Das said. “This protest will not stop till Gyanesh resigns,” CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka said.
Referring to the condition imposed on their release, Das said that they had been told there should be no breach of peace for one year.
“The breach of peace has been caused by Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar,” the CJP leader added.
Protest at designated protest spot is not disturbing peace, Ranka said.
On Sunday, all metro stations remained open, while no major traffic restrictions were imposed in Lutyens’ Delhi. However, major approach roads to the area were heavily barricaded.
Delhi Police has registered 20 FIRs in connection with Saturday’s CJP protest against the CEC over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, officials said on Sunday.
The FIRs include charges related to assault on police personnel and obstruction of public servants in the discharge of their duties, among other offences.
An unprecedented security clampdown and the detention of over 7,000 protesters, including CJP leader Abhijit Dipke and four former chief ministers, helped the government thwart a planned mass mobilisation at Jantar Mantar on Saturday to press for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
On Sunday, around 200 students and protesters were detained as they raised slogans and marched towards Jantar Mantar, with several seen being dragged into police buses, as the protest called by the CJP entered its second day amid heavy security deployment in New Delhi.
Members of several student organisations, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Association (AISA) and Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), along with CJP supporters, were detained. CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas and AISA president Neha Bora were also among those detained.
In visuals circulating online, AISA president Neha Bora was seen running as security personnel pursued her before a few officers blocked her path from the front and caught hold of her.
Women police personnel were then seen grabbing her by the arms, while other security personnel held her arms and legs and dragged her away. Bora was also seen clinging to barricades as fellow protesters held on to her, attempting to prevent security personnel from taking her away.
Visuals showed protesters marching through Connaught Place’s Inner Circle and near Rajiv Chowk, raising slogans demanding the resignation of CEC Kumar. The demonstrators could be heard shouting, “Gyanesh Kumar isteefa do, isteefa do”.
In the morning, three CJP leaders, Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, who were put under preventive arrest following their detention at the Delhi airport a day earlier, were released after being produced before an executive magistrate.
In a statement, the CJP called the release of the three leaders a “major legal victory”.
The CJP said the “arbitrary detentions” had sparked severe criticism and legal challenges amid an intense security clampdown across the capital over protests against the CEC.
“Finally Delhi Police is forced to release Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das. Cockroaches never die,” it posted on X.
On its part, the Delhi Police said the “preventive arrests” were made following “all due legal procedures” and that the leaders were produced before the SEM Court, Delhi Cantt, on Sunday.
“A bail bond as surety bond of Rs 50,000 was filed for maintaining peace and good behaviour, for a period of one year, and they were released by the SEM Court,” it said.
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee on Sunday claimed he was “kidnapped” from his residence by people in plain clothes and taken to different police stations ahead of the planned protest in Delhi on October 10.
In a video posted on X, Rathee said around 20 people in plain clothes entered his house around 7 am on Saturday while he was sleeping.
He claimed they took him away before he could ask who they were.
Rathee said he was taken to different police stations and was not allowed to contact his lawyer or access a phone for around 22-23 hours. He also claimed he sustained injuries while being taken out of his bedroom.
“I was not detained, I was kidnapped,” he said, describing his experience and questioning the manner in which he was taken from his residence.
The Supreme Court said people gathering peacefully should not be illegally detained.
The bench asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ensure that the Delhi Metro functions in accordance with its normal schedule, and that there is no disruption to internet services, subject to law-and-order conditions.
The court also asked Mehta to ensure that lawyers, journalists and others are not impeded in discharging their professional duties.
“Internet facilities shall remain undisturbed, as per law…. When we are saying internet facilities shall remain undisturbed, we are not taking away the powers under the Information Technology Act.
“There shall not be illegal detention, save and except by procedure established by law, particularly with regard to assemblage of people beyond the area within which it (section 163 of the BNSS) is imposed,” the bench said.
The Delhi Police has also issued fresh notices to CJP leaders in connection with an old case involving a woman, following directions from the high court, sources said on Sunday.
The case relates to allegations that the woman’s photographs were morphed to create objectionable images and circulated online.
The Delhi High Court had earlier issued notices to CJP leaders on the woman’s plea and directed the police to issue notices.
The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) filed a police complaint against AAP leaders, including party chief Arvind Kejriwal, over alleged disruptions at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara and the circulation of “misleading” videos during the anti-CEC protests.
A large number of protesters gathered on the gurudwara premises on Saturday while trying to reach Jantar Mantar to join the protest. However, their attempts were thwarted, and they were detained by the police.
The complaint filed by the DSGMC alleged that workers and supporters associated with the Aam Aadmi Party entered the gurdwara premises and started protesting there, creating chaos and disturbance, thereby attempting to use the sanctity of ‘Guru Ghar’ for political activity.
Delhi Police on Sunday released a video to refute the CJP’s claim that its leader Abhijeet Dipke was not informed about his grandmother’s death while in custody, reiterating that he was conveyed the news with due sensitivity and offered assistance to travel to his hometown for the funeral, but he declined the offer.
The video comes after Dipke’s mother accused the Delhi Police of lying, alleging that her son had not been informed about his grandmother’s demise. The CJP had also claimed that Dipke was not informed about the death.
Showing the video of police personnel informing Dipke about his grandmother’s demise, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Public Relations Office) Neha Yadav said in a press conference that the information was promptly conveyed to the CJP leader, who was also informed about the scheduled funeral time.
It reiterated that the news was conveyed with due sensitivity and assistance was offered for his travel to his hometown for the funeral, but he “declined” the offer.
The national capital, which has been rocked by a series of street protests this month against Chief Election Commissioner Kumar and SIR, was bracing for another march on Monday by the INDIA bloc.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said he and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have sought a meeting with the Chief Justice of India between 4 and 5 pm on Monday to seek his intervention on the issue of “vote chori”.
