Abhijeet Dipke 'briefly detained' at Mumbai’s Marine Drive

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was briefly detained at Marine Drive police station on Thursday after he was spotted with supporters carrying placards along Mumbai's iconic promenade, a police official said. Dipke and a group of his supporters had gathered at Marine Drive with placards when a police team approached them. The team included a woman inspector, who escorted Dipke to the Marine Drive police station in a police van.

Escorted to police station

According to the official, the woman officer asked Dipke about his identity and hometown while he was being taken to the police station. His supporters were also taken to the station.

Dipke and the others were kept in the waiting area after reaching the police station. He was subsequently asked to meet senior officials, but emerged from the police station only minutes later and was seen smiling as he left.

There was no immediate indication that Dipke had been formally arrested or that any case had been registered against him in connection with the gathering.

Video goes viral

A video showing Dipke's brief detention subsequently circulated widely on social media. The footage drew attention amid the CJP's ongoing campaign over electoral issues and its criticism of the Election Commission.

The episode came on a day when the CJP had planned protests in Mumbai as part of its campaign seeking changes in election governance. Dipke has also been at the forefront of the party's demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Those demands are part of the CJP's political campaign and do not constitute established findings of wrongdoing against the Election Commission or the Chief Election Commissioner.

CJP steps up campaign

The CJP had earlier announced plans for an agitation in Mumbai on October 2, including a “Jail Bharo Andolan”, after permission for a proposed gathering at Shivaji Park became an issue between the organisers and authorities.

The group has said it intends to expand its campaign to other states and continue pressing its demands concerning the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission.

Thursday's Marine Drive episode, however, was brief. Dipke was taken to the police station along with supporters, remained there for a short period and walked out minutes later, with the video of his interaction with police subsequently gaining traction online.