Nearly 24 hours in detention, CJP leaders await magistrate; Dhruv Rathee released

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) said its leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were awaiting the arrival of an executive magistrate as their detention approached 24 hours, following a police crackdown ahead of the party’s planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi.

“They have now been held in detention for almost 24 hours. Delhi Police must release them immediately,” the party said, reiterating its demand for their release.

The three leaders were detained after arriving at Delhi airport on Saturday for the proposed demonstration at Jantar Mantar. The police action came after authorities denied permission for the gathering, citing law-and-order concerns, public safety and possible inconvenience to residents.

CJP leaders remain in custody as other detainees are released

The detentions took place amid extensive security arrangements across the national capital to prevent protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar. The CJP had called for the demonstration to demand Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

According to reports, the three leaders were placed under preventive arrest after their flight landed in Delhi. The party condemned the action, alleging that the police had prevented its leadership from participating in a peaceful demonstration.

Delhi Police subsequently released protesters detained at various locations across the capital, with the three CJP leaders being the exception, according to reports on Saturday night. More than 7,000 people, including opposition leaders and public figures, were detained during the crackdown.

Police sources said the legal process would be followed in the case of Dipke, Das and Ranka. The party, however, maintained that their continued detention was unacceptable and called for their immediate release.

Dhruv Rathee released after being detained ahead of protest

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was released late on Saturday, hours after being detained ahead of the CJP’s planned demonstration, officials said. He had been prevented from participating in the protest.

Rathee was detained at his residence in Gurugram before the gathering. He had announced his intention to join the demonstration against the Chief Election Commissioner and the electoral-roll revision exercise.

His detention was among several preventive measures taken by the authorities as security was tightened across Delhi. The police action also affected opposition politicians, activists and other people seeking to participate in or support the protest.

The CJP’s demonstration was part of a wider campaign questioning the SIR exercise and demanding accountability from the Election Commission. The party continued to press its demands despite the detention of its leaders and restrictions on the planned gathering.

Police caution against misleading videos circulating online

Separately, Delhi Police issued an advisory warning people against circulating misleading and unverified videos on social media amid the tense situation surrounding the protests.

The police said some clips being shared online were from past incidents or events in other states, while others were allegedly generated using artificial intelligence to provoke unrest.

The advisory urged people to refrain from forwarding such posts and spreading information without verifying its authenticity. It also warned that those circulating misleading material could face legal action.

“Sharing such misleading & unverified posts may attract legal action against the profile owners,” Delhi Police said.

The warning came as videos and claims relating to the detentions and police action spread across social media. The police urged users to exercise caution and verify the origin of footage before sharing it.

With Dipke, Das and Ranka still awaiting the executive magistrate’s arrival, the CJP continued to demand their release. The party’s protest against Gyanesh Kumar and the dispute over electoral-roll revisions remained at the centre of the continuing standoff.