Delhi Police refutes CJP claim, releases video

The Delhi Police on Sunday refuted claims by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on founder Abhijeet Dipke not being informed about his grandmother's death while in custody on October 10.

The Police authority released a video, reiterating that he news was conveyed with due sensitivity and the officials offered assistance for his travel to his hometown for the funeral, but he "declined" the offer.

The video comes soon after Dipke's mother accused the Delhi Police of lying, alleging that her son had not been informed about his grandmother's demise on Saturday.

The youth-led CJP also claimed that Dipke was not informed about the death.

Showing the video during a press conference, Deputy Commissioner of Police (PRO) Neha Yadav said that the information was promptly conveyed to Dipke, who was also informed about the scheduled funeral time.

"He was also offered all possible assistance to facilitate his travel to his hometown on humanitarian grounds; however, he declined to avail the same," she said, adding that he was also extended the offer to speak with his family.

Dipke was among the three CJP leaders detained by the Delhi Police from inside an aircraft on Saturday ahead of the planned protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital. Police had earlier denied permission for the protest, citing procedural requirements and prohibitory orders in force in the New Delhi area.

Dipke, along with Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, was placed under preventive arrest following their detention.

The three were released on Sunday morning after being produced before an executive magistrate on the condition that they would not "breach peace" for a year, CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh said.

Responding to the latest video released by the Delhi Police, Dipke said, " Hate that I have to write this. Didn’t want to make it about me, but I have to because Delhi Police is taking the moral high ground for simply “INFORMING ME” about my grandmother’s demise. Why the hell I was detained in the first place? That too from a *** plane?"

In a social media statement, Dipke alleged that he requested police officials to allow him to speak to his cousin. "I asked for my phone for just a couple of minutes so I could at least retrieve my cousin's number and find out what had happened. Why was I denied even that? I also requested to speak to my lawyer, but that too was denied. Then, at 3:30 in the morning, Delhi Police asked me to call my father and tell him that I would be going to jail for a long time. The same father who had just lost his mother," he said.