CJP Protest LIVE Updates: Dipke, Ranka, Das Released; Jantar Mantar On Alert

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has alleged that around 20 people in plain clothes entered his home in the early hours of October 10 and took him away while he was asleep, in a video posted after his release. Rathee said he was not shown an arrest warrant or given an explanation for the action before being taken from his bedroom. He described the incident as a “kidnapping”, disputing the characterisation of his detention as a lawful arrest or preventive detention.

Rathee said he was taken between police stations and held for around 22 to 23 hours. He alleged that his phone and his parents’ phones were taken away, and that he was denied access to a lawyer and to his phone during that period. He also claimed he sustained injuries while being taken from his home. These allegations have not been independently verified, and the account reflects Rathee’s version of events.

In the video, Rathee displayed what he described as his Indian passport and rejected claims questioning his citizenship. He said he was an Indian citizen and argued that he had the same rights as other citizens. He also alleged that people were monitoring his movements after his release, describing the situation as a form of “house arrest”.

Rathee linked his detention to the CJP’s protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and criticised the authorities’ handling of the demonstrations. He thanked supporters who had called for his release and said he would continue to speak out on issues concerning the country.

Rathee’s allegations come amid the wider police action surrounding the CJP protest in Delhi on October 10. CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were also detained after arriving in the capital and were subsequently released after being produced before an executive magistrate.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Sunday that party leaders would meet the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Monday to apprise him of their concerns over the developments surrounding the CJP protests and the detention of demonstrators in Delhi.

“I have written a letter, and Rahul Ji has also written a letter. We have set a time between 4 and 5 PM. We will also apprise him. We can't demand anything from him. Only with folded hand we'll request them,” Kharge said.

Kharge also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of creating “chaos” in the country and described the situation as an “undeclared emergency”. Referring to the police deployment in Delhi, he claimed that nearly 32,000 personnel had been deployed on Saturday, arguing that the scale of the deployment reflected the government's concerns over the protests.

The Congress has said it will continue to raise concerns over voters' rights and alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. The CJP has been demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.

CPI(M) MP John Brittas on Sunday said the protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation would continue, regardless of whether demonstrators were allowed to enter Jantar Mantar.

“Whether they permit us to enter Jantar Mantar or not, the entire Delhi would be converted into a Jantar Mantar,” Brittas said, alleging that the Centre’s restrictions were helping the protest gain momentum.

He said the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) was seeking the right to travel through Delhi and stage a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, which he described as a designated protest site. Brittas also said Congress and some INDIA bloc parties would pursue the issue separately, adding that their legislators were expected to be in Delhi on Monday.

The Supreme Court on Sunday began hearing a batch of petitions concerning the police crackdown on protesters in Delhi on October 10, including pleas challenging the detentions and a contempt petition alleging wilful disobedience of the court’s earlier directions.

A bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said it would hear lawyers seeking to mention their petitions, offering each party an opportunity to present its case. “What we propose to do is to go from right to left (in the Bar) and give an opportunity to hear every party,” the court said.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal began submissions challenging the detentions and the imposition of restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). He told the court that people were being picked up from trains and raised concerns over the suspension of internet services, referring to the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Anuradha Bhasin case.

Senior advocate Shadan Farasat also questioned the alleged manner in which protesters were handled by police, including claims that demonstrators were dragged and put on buses. Senior advocate N Hariharan submitted that citizens had lost the right to move freely around the city. Lawyers also showed the bench photographs of the police action during Saturday’s crackdown.

When lawyers thanked the court for holding a special hearing, Justice Bagchi said, “No need to thank us. We are always at the service of the nation.”

Delhi Police said Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were released by the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) Court at Delhi Cantt on Sunday after being produced before it. In a post on X, the police said the three were placed under preventive arrest on October 10 under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, and that all due legal procedures had been followed.

According to the police, a bail bond in the form of a surety bond of Rs 50,000 was furnished for maintaining peace and good behaviour for one year, following which the court ordered their release.

Harmeet Singh Kalka, president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), has condemned attempts to hold a protest at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, saying the incident had hurt Sikh sentiments. He said the gurdwara was a sacred place of worship and should not be turned into a political arena.

Kalka objected to protesters allegedly entering the premises to stage a demonstration and said the presence of police personnel in uniform inside the gurdwara was deeply distressing for the Sikh community. He maintained that while people were welcome to offer prayers at the shrine, protests were not permitted there.

Accusing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs in Delhi of politicising the issue, Kalka warned against using the religious site for political purposes. His remarks came amid tensions surrounding the CJP protest and its fallout in the national capital.

CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the party would hold a press conference at 2 pm. The three leaders had been detained by Delhi Police ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the revision of electoral rolls.

CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das have been released after being produced before the Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantt Police Station on Sunday.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday criticised the detention of protesters in Delhi, saying it was “unfortunate” that such incidents were taking place in a democracy. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) was protesting on its own and that the Congress did not want to stop it. He added that the Congress and some INDIA bloc parties would pursue the issue separately, with their legislators expected to be in Delhi on Monday. Shivakumar said the party would fight for voters’ rights and seek to ensure that every voter in the country was protected and able to exercise their right to vote.

CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das have been released by an executive magistrate’s court, according to lawyer Ratna Singh and the Cockroach Janta Party’s official account on X.

The three leaders had been detained by Delhi Police ahead of the party’s planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the revision of electoral rolls.

The CJP had earlier said the leaders were awaiting the executive magistrate’s arrival after being held in detention for nearly 24 hours. The party subsequently announced their release on Sunday.