Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) chief Abhijeet Dipke was released on conditional bail on Saturday after signing a peace bond, a day after Delhi Police detained him over his proposed 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march at Connaught Place. His detention followed his refusal to comply with a police notice prohibiting the march on Friday.

The incident drew attention after Dipke unfurled the Indian national flag moments before police personnel pushed him into a police van. His party subsequently raised concerns about his whereabouts and access to legal assistance.

Dipke's release came after a day marked by competing claims over preventive police action and the treatment of people associated with the proposed protest. The available details do not specify the complete conditions attached to his release.

Flag March Dispute Led to Police Detention

Dipke was detained shortly after leaving the Karol Bagh residence of Anish Gawande, spokesperson for the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), at around 4.50 pm on Friday.

He was wearing a white T-shirt featuring a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi. Around five minutes after stepping out, he encountered police personnel who took him into custody.

During the confrontation, Dipke questioned the action against him, asking, "I am alone. Why are you stopping me?"

He then took out the Tricolour and unfurled it before police personnel pushed him into a police van and drove him away.

The detention followed a notice served by Delhi Police prohibiting him from holding the 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march at Connaught Place. Dipke refused to comply with the notice, leading to his detention.

The sequence of events placed the proposed flag march at the centre of a dispute over police restrictions and the right to organise public demonstrations. However, the supplied account does not establish the specific legal provisions cited by police for the detention or provide a detailed explanation of the grounds for prohibiting the march.

CJP and AISA Raised Concerns Over Detentions

The Cockroach Janta Party alleged on Friday that it had lost contact with its founder after Delhi Police detained him. The party claimed that officers had taken Dipke to an undisclosed location and that he was not being allowed to speak to lawyers.

In a post on X, CJP said it had been unable to establish his whereabouts. The party also questioned why a person carrying the national flag had been detained, arguing that the action would not discourage people from joining protests.

CJP subsequently wrote to the Delhi Police, seeking information about Dipke's location and the circumstances surrounding his detention.

In a letter addressed to the station house officer of Mandir Marg police station, CJP leader Rohan Deshpande said the party had received no information about where Dipke was being held since his detention.

Deshpande urged the police to confirm Dipke's whereabouts immediately, identify the legal provisions invoked and explain the grounds communicated for his preventive detention.

The concerns were not limited to Dipke. The All India Students' Association (AISA) said its president, Neha Bora, had been traced to the RK Puram police station after hours of uncertainty over her location.

AISA questioned why Bora was being held at a police station until midnight and demanded clarity on when she would be released. The organisation also raised concerns about a woman student leader being kept at a police station late at night.

The accounts from CJP and AISA highlighted concerns about communication with detained individuals and the ability of their organisations to establish their whereabouts. The available information does not provide a detailed police response to these allegations.

Questions Remain Over Police Restrictions

Dipke's release on conditional bail marks the latest development in the dispute surrounding the proposed march. His signing of a peace bond formed part of the conditions attached to his release, although the precise terms have not been detailed in the available account.

The episode also raises questions about the grounds for restricting the march, the legal basis for the detention and the information provided to those seeking access to the detained individuals.

For now, Dipke is out of custody, but the wider dispute over the police action remains unresolved. Further clarity will depend on the authorities' explanation of the restrictions, the detention and the conditions imposed on his release.