New Delhi, Oct 17: All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora was released early Saturday morning, while Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke will be produced before the Special Executive Magistrate court, Delhi Police said.
Both were taken into preventive custody ahead of the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ protest march at Connaught Place here on Friday.
Bora was released after completing formalities related to her detention under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act, while Dipke was arrested in a fresh case for breach of peace under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, police said.
The CJP founder will be produced before the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) court later in the day, police sources said.
The SEM court will decide whether he will be sent to jail or released on bail, they added.
Earlier, when Dipke was detained from inside a flight at Delhi airport on October 10, a separate case for breach of peace had been registered. He was made to sign a bond undertaking not to disturb peace for one year.
After being released, Bora slammed the Delhi Police and the BJP government at the Centre, calling the detentions “illegal”.
She also demanded an end to the SIR process and called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and for him to be jailed.
“I was detained at Mandi House and kept here (at the police station) the whole night, until 5 am. Why are you (police) carrying out these illegal detentions? These things have been happening in this country for a long time, and this movement has clearly shown that such detentions are taking place. It has brought these kinds of detentions to light. They claim that they adhere to law and order and go by the book, but none of that is happening,” Bora told PTI Videos.
The AISA president also demanded that all of the protesters who have been detained or arrested, including Dipke, be released immediately.
“During this movement, they (police) have been detaining people illegally in the evening and releasing them the next morning or evening. We do not understand which law allows these kinds of detentions. The protesters who have been detained should be released, including Abhijeet Dipke. The sort of curfew that has been imposed in central Delhi should also end,” she said.
“Everyone, from Gyanesh Kumar to the BJP government, should shed their arrogance. Gyanesh Kumar should resign or be impeached and jailed, and the SIR should be stopped so that the people of Delhi and India can breathe a sigh of relief,” she added.
After Bora’s release, AISA said the development came after 12 hours of protests and outrage across the country over her detention, thanking the media and people who stood by the organisation during the difficult period.
The organisation said its fight for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and rollback of the SIR exercise will continue.
In a post on X, AISA questioned Dipke’s continued detention, saying he had been denied his liberty for hours for wanting to participate in a Tiranga March.
“Why is @abhijeet_dipke still in illegal detention?” it asked.
“For hours, a citizen who wanted to take part in a Tiranga March has been denied his liberty. Now he is to be produced before the SEM at 12 pm,” AISA said, demanding his release.
CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh also sought Dipke’s release, describing his arrest as unlawful. She said he had been picked up from outside his residence, his whereabouts remained unknown and his lawyers had been unable to meet him.
“The SEM court should release Abhijeet Dipke, as his arrest is unlawful. He merely urged people to unfurl the Tiranga. How can that by itself be a crime?” Singh asked.
She said the circumstances of Dipke’s detention raised serious concerns over due process and fundamental rights, questioning how such an apparent abuse of power could be justified in a democracy governed by the rule of law.
“Delhi police cannot do unlawful act under the garb of preventive detention,” Singh said.
On Friday, Bora was detained at Mandi House, while Dipke was detained at Jhandewalan, as they were on their way to Connaught Place, police sources said.
AISA claimed that after being detained, Bora was moved from one location to another across Delhi for five hours before being taken to RK Puram police station.
It alleged that lawyers reached RK Puram police station around midnight, but were not allowed to meet Bora.
It further claimed that police had not clarified when she would be released and were refusing to provide her medicines despite knowing she has been unwell for the past few days.
According to police, around 150 people had been detained to maintain law and order and ensure smooth traffic movement.
Security personnel cordoned off Central Park in Connaught Place, with Rapid Action Force personnel deployed inside and additional forces stationed in the area. (PTI)
