The Delhi Police on Sunday rejected allegations by the family of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) convenor Abhijeet Dipke that it delayed his release and prevented him from attending his grandmother's funeral, saying he was informed of her death and offered assistance to travel to his hometown, which he declined.
Dipke, along with CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, was detained by Delhi Police from inside an aircraft on Saturday ahead of the outfit's planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in the national capital. The trio was subsequently placed under preventive arrest.
Dipke's paternal grandmother, Savitribai Shankarrao Dipke, 85, died on Saturday following a prolonged illness in Maharashtra's Hingoli district. Her last rites were held on Sunday morning.
"We requested the Delhi police multiple times to release Abhijeet after he lost his grandmother, but they did not release him," a family member told reporters before the funeral.
Rejecting the family's allegations, Delhi Police said in a post on X on Saturday that Dipke had been promptly informed of his grandmother's death and the funeral timings, and that all possible assistance had been offered to facilitate his journey to his hometown.
In a statement on Sunday, the police said the information had been conveyed to Dipke with due sensitivity and that he had been informed of 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," the police said.
Dipke's uncle Vilas Dipke disputed the police account, alleging that the family had repeatedly pleaded for his release. "I pleaded with the Delhi police with folded hands at least 10 times to release Abhijeet so he could attend the funeral, as we were waiting for him. Though he was eventually released today, it was too late for him to attend."
Vilas said his nephew would at least be able to be present to collect his grandmother's ashes.
Dipke, Ranka and Das were produced before an executive magistrate in Delhi on Sunday morning and released on the condition that they would not "breach peace" for a year, CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh said.
The police had denied permission for the CJP protest, citing procedural requirements and prohibitory orders in force in the New Delhi area.
The party has renewed its call for a protest at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, with security arrangements remaining tight in the capital. More than 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel were to be deployed, according to the report.
The CJP and opposition parties have been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls.
In a statement, the CJP described the release of the three leaders as a "major legal victory".
(With inputs from PTI)