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CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke remains in police detention as his family mourns the death of his 85-year-old grandmother. (Img: X)
New Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke’s family has been struck by grief after his 85-year-old grandmother, Savitribai Shankar Dipke, passed away at their native village in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district on Saturday. The news came just hours after Dipke was detained by Delhi Police upon arriving in the national capital for a planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Savitribai Dipke breathed her last at Santuk Pimpri village, where the family originally belongs. According to reports, she had been unwell for the past few days. Her death has raised questions about whether Dipke will be released or permitted to travel home to attend her funeral while he remains in police custody.
Dipke’s parents, Bhagwan Dipke and Anita Dipke, were reportedly in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar when they received news of the death. The family is expected to travel to Hingoli to attend the final rites. Meanwhile, security has been stepped up around the family’s residence amid the political developments surrounding the CJP protest.
As of the latest available information, there has been no confirmed announcement regarding Dipke’s release, transfer or permission to travel to his native village. It is also unclear whether he has been formally informed of his grandmother’s death.
Dipke had travelled from Mumbai to Delhi along with fellow CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to participate in a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar. The party had announced the protest to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations concerning electoral-roll revision.
However, the three leaders were detained by Delhi Police after arriving in the capital. Reports indicated that police personnel took them into custody from inside the aircraft, although details about their subsequent movement and legal status were not immediately clear.
The detention has put the CJP protest under fresh scrutiny, particularly as the party had planned to raise allegations of voter-list manipulation and irregularities linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The timing of Savitribai Dipke’s death has added a deeply personal dimension to the unfolding political controversy. With the family preparing for the funeral, attention has shifted to whether the detained CJP founder will be able to return to Maharashtra.
The immediate question facing the family is whether Dipke will be released or granted permission to travel to Hingoli for the last rites of his grandmother.
There has been no official confirmation of any such arrangement. Reports citing sources suggested that the police might facilitate his travel to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after informing him about the family tragedy. However, this possibility has not been officially confirmed.
The decision will depend on the circumstances and legal status of his detention, along with any directions issued by the relevant authorities. Until an official statement is available, it remains uncertain whether Dipke will be able to reach his family in time for the funeral.
The development has also raised questions about the arrangements available to a person in custody when a death occurs in the immediate family. Any decision regarding temporary release or escorted travel would need to be confirmed by the authorities.
Security was reportedly strengthened outside Dipke’s residence in the MIDC Waluj area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar ahead of the planned protest in Delhi. According to a report citing a local police official, the deployment was increased from one guard to a team of around 20 personnel in view of the situation in the national capital. The move was described as a precautionary measure amid concerns surrounding the demonstration.
The heightened police presence has drawn attention to the wider security arrangements linked to the CJP agitation. However, the precise operational details and any changes to the deployment should be confirmed through official police updates.
CJP had announced a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on October 10 under the banner of Jantar Mantar 2.0. The party sought the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations relating to voter-list manipulation, the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and changes involving Form 6, which is used for voter registration.
Dipke and other party leaders had accused the electoral-roll revision process of raising concerns about the deletion of voters and the protection of eligible citizens’ voting rights. These allegations remain the party’s claims and should not be treated as established findings without independent verification.
The Election Commission has rejected allegations of irregularities in the SIR process and maintained that major decisions relating to the exercise were taken unanimously by the full commission.
The proposed demonstration was planned as a public campaign to press for accountability and raise concerns about electoral transparency. The detention of the party’s senior figures, however, has complicated its plans and raised questions about how the agitation will proceed.
Following the detention of Dipke, Das and Ranka, CJP organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde was named to lead the planned demonstration. In a pre-recorded video message, Dipke reportedly designated Shinde to take charge of the protest for as long as the senior leaders remained in detention. The party said the video had been recorded in advance because Dipke anticipated the possibility of being detained after reaching Delhi.
The move was intended to ensure continuity in the protest despite the absence of the party’s leading figures. However, the next course of action and the extent to which supporters will be able to assemble remain uncertain amid the restrictions imposed by the authorities.
For the family, the immediate priority is the loss of Savitribai Dipke and the question of whether Abhijeet will be able to attend her funeral. For the party, the challenge is to decide how to continue its planned agitation while its senior leaders remain in police custody. The coming hours are likely to be crucial in clarifying Dipke’s legal status, the family’s funeral arrangements and the future of the CJP protest in Delhi.
