CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke criticised the detention of Ankita Bhandari’s parents at India Gate (Img: X)
New Delhi: Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leader Abhijeet Dipke has criticised Delhi Police over the detention of Ankita Bhandari’s parents during their protest at India Gate, saying the incident “should make us all ashamed”.
Reacting to the early-morning police action on Thursday, Dipke said Ankita’s parents did not deserve what he described as inhuman treatment. His remarks came after police detained the family and several Congress leaders at around 4 am during an overnight sit-in demanding justice in the 2022 murder case. The parents were released later.
Dipke shared his response to the detention on social media, questioning the treatment of Ankita’s parents.
This should make us all ashamed!
Ankita Bhandari’s parents don’t deserve such inhuman treatment. Why is the govt treating its own citizens with such cruelty?
#JusticeForAnkitaBhandari
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) October 15, 2026
“This should make us all ashamed! Ankita Bhandari’s parents don’t deserve such inhuman treatment. Why is the govt treating its own citizens with such cruelty?” he wrote, using the hashtag #JusticeForAnkitaBhandari.
His comments added to criticism from opposition leaders following the police action. Congress leaders Supriya Shrinate, Pawan Khera and Kazi Nizamuddin also questioned the detention and alleged that protesters seeking justice for Ankita were being treated harshly.
Ankita’s parents had been staging a sit-in at India Gate against the appointment of former Uttarakhand BJP in-charge Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim.
The family has demanded that the appointment be put on hold until the CBI investigation into the alleged VIP angle in Ankita’s case is completed. Her father, Virendra Singh Bhandari, issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the government, warning of wider protests if the demand was not met.
Also Read: Ankita Bhandari’s Parents Released After Detention; Congress Questions Police Action
Ankita’s mother said the family would continue its protest and would undertake a hunger strike at home if the authorities did not allow them to demonstrate at the site. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Had Joined the Protest
The detention took place hours after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met Ankita’s parents at the protest site on Wednesday evening.
Rahul Gandhi expressed support for the family and criticised what he described as protection for a VIP figure. Congress leaders later condemned the early-morning police action, with party members alleging that the family was being denied a fair hearing.
The allegations concerning the alleged VIP angle remain under investigation. Dushyant Kumar Gautam has not been named as an accused in the murder case, and allegations against him should not be treated as established facts.
Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at a resort in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district, was murdered in September 2022. Resort owner Pulkit Arya and two employees were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2025.
Also Read: Ankita Bhandari’s Parents Released After Detention; Congress Questions Police Action
The case has returned to the spotlight following renewed demands to investigate an alleged VIP connection. Ankita’s parents have called for the investigation to be completed before Gautam assumes the gubernatorial position.
Dipke’s remarks have brought further attention to the family’s protest and the circumstances of their detention, as calls for a thorough investigation continue.
