All India Students' Association (AISA) president Neha Bora was released after 12 hours of detention, while Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) convenor Abhijeet Dipke has been put under preventive arrest for carrying out a flag march in New Delhi on Friday.
The CJP, opposition parties, student groups, and civil society organisations have staged protests in several parts of India, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Delhi Police said Dipke will be produced before a special executive magistrate at Mandir Marg police station at 12 noon. Police said he was arrested following action under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Dipke announced a flag march on Friday evening after his party's co-convenors, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were arrested for unfurling the national flag at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday. The duo were sent to five days' judicial custody.
Dipke, Bora's detention
On Friday, around 4.40 pm, Dipke was detained in a police van when he was leaving for the rally from his friend's house in Jhandewalan.
Cockroach Janta Party alleged he was taken to multiple police stations around Dwarka and southwest Delhi before being detained. His location was not shared with anyone, and he was not allowed to meet a lawyer.
Bora, who started her flag march with AISA activists at Mandi House at 5.15 pm, was detained from there.
A senior police officer said, "Bora and Dipke were detained in the evening of 16.10.26 under preventive sections. Bora was released after due formalities of detention under section 65 of the Delhi Police Act. Action under sections 126 and 170 of BNSS was taken against Dipke. His arrest was effected, and he would be produced before the SEM court".
Police to file more than 7 FIRs
The Delhi Police said they will also file more than 7 FIRs against the CJP and protesters for violating prohibitory orders and staging a march in the middle of Connaught Place on Friday evening.
The cops said the accused are being identified with the help of social media
Bora, after her release at 6 am, said, “Law and order are being flouted in every possible way. Ordinary citizens are treated as if they were hardened criminals, a practice that has persisted in this country for a long time. The current movement has clearly exposed how people are being detained, whether during the day or in the evening, held in custody throughout the night, and only released the following morning or evening. Under what authority is this justified? By what law or order is it permissible to keep detainees held in custody all night long? Legally, individuals, especially women, ought to be released after sunset, yet this is not happening.”
"You are spreading chaos and anarchy across the nation. Please, spare the people of India. Impeach Gyanesh Kumar and halt SIR, so that the ordinary citizens of this country can breathe a sigh of relief, feel at ease, and have their voting rights ensured. The police demanded my name, address, and other details. For a long time, they wouldn't even let me speak or consult with a legal advisor (lawyer). Our lawyers spent 5–6 hours trying to reach me; it was only after we managed to call them that they were finally allowed to meet me. These are the kinds of things these people have been doing for a long time," she added.