New Delhi, Oct 17 (IANS) Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder and Convener Abhijeet Dipke was on Saturday granted conditional bail by a Delhi court after being arrested in connection with the party's 'Lehra Do Tiranga' rally at the Central Park in national capital's Connaught Place. According to the Delhi Police, Dipke was granted bail by the Special Executive Magistrate court after he signed a 'peace bond'. A similar bond was signed by the CJP founder and leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, while they were being released following their detention ahead of the October 10 protest.

CJP's Legal Affairs Head Ratna Singh confirmed that Dipke was released following the bail. In a post on social media platform X, she said: "Abhijeet Dipke released." Earlier in the day, Singh complained of delay in court procedures. "The hearing was supposed to happen at 12 p.m. It's 3:38 p.m. and no sign of it. If this isn't deliberate then what is? Release Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Abhijeet Dipke along with other detainees. You can't take away people's liberty by delaying the entire process," she had said in a previous post on the social media platform.

On Friday, Dipke was detained while on his way to join the protest rally in Connaught Place and was later arrested. All India Students' Association (AISA) President Neha Bora was also detained near Mandi House as police tightened security across the heart of Delhi. She was released briefly after her detention. The CJP had called for a 'Tiranga Assembly' at Connaught Place's Central Park at 5 p.m. on Friday, permission for which was denied by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

Ahead of Friday's proposed rally, the Delhi Police had served Dipke two notices informing him that Connaught Place was not a notified protest site and that the NDMC had not granted permission for the proposed Tiranga Yatra. According to officials, one of the notices was issued on behalf of the New Delhi district authorities under the Delhi Police Act, instructing individuals not to visit Central Park, as Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was in force.

A second notice was issued to Dipke by the South West Delhi authorities, reminding him that he, along with CJP Co-conveners Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, were previously 'bound down' (placed under a legal undertaking) following their preventive detention at the airport and subsequent production before a court. This relates to the court's directive requiring them to refrain from causing any public disturbance for a period of one year.

--IANS