Delhi Police personnel boarded a flight carrying Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke after it landed in Delhi on Saturday morning. Officers detained Dipke and two other party members inside the aircraft, triggering a heated confrontation ahead of the party's planned protest at Jantar Mantar. Dipke went live on Instagram as police officers entered the plane. He also shared a video showing officers detaining him, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka before they could leave the aircraft.

Dramatic Scenes Inside Flight as Police Detain CJP Leaders

Dipke's Instagram video showed a commotion inside the aircraft as CJP members questioned the police action. The party leaders asked officers why they had not waited for passengers to deboard before making the arrests. Dipke confronted the women police officers who entered the plane and challenged them over the detention. "You could have waited till we came out. Come arrest us, we are not afraid," Dipke was seen telling the officers. Police personnel subsequently took Dipke, Das and Ranka from the airport to an undisclosed location.

Abhijeet Dipke Was Travelling to Lead Protest Against CEC

Dipke had left Mumbai for Delhi earlier on Saturday morning. He planned to lead the CJP demonstration at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The party had called the protest to demand Kumar's resignation over allegations related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. However, the police detained the CJP founder and two party members immediately after their flight arrived in the capital, preventing them from reaching the planned protest site.

CJP Condemns Detention of Its Founder and Members

The Cockroach Janta Party strongly criticised the police action and described the detentions as authoritarian. In a statement, the party condemned the detention of Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka directly from their flight after landing in Delhi. "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. The party accused Delhi Police of targeting its leadership before the demonstration could begin. It also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the three detained members.

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and CJP Legal Cell Head Also Detained

The police action extended beyond the airport. Earlier on Saturday morning, police detained YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and Ratna Singh, who heads the CJP's legal cell, at their homes. The detentions came as authorities moved to prevent them from joining the planned demonstration. Delhi Police also detained more than 400 suspected protesters from different parts of the capital overnight. These detentions formed part of a wider security operation ahead of the CJP protest.

Delhi Police Denies Permission for CJP Protest

On Friday, Delhi Police refused permission for the planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Officials said the organisers had not requested permission sufficiently in advance. Authorities subsequently introduced extensive restrictions across the capital to control the movement of potential protesters. The measures included the closure of 45 Metro stations and the cancellation of dozens of trains. These restrictions aimed to prevent protesters from travelling to the demonstration site.

Centre Deploys Over 20,000 Security Personnel Across Delhi

The Centre deployed more than 20,000 police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel across Delhi to maintain law and order. Security forces have been placed on alert as authorities attempt to prevent unauthorised gatherings and manage potential disturbances linked to the planned protest. The detention of CJP leaders at the airport, the arrests at private residences and the restrictions on public transport reflect the extensive security measures introduced ahead of the demonstration at Jantar Mantar.

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