Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was granted conditional bail by a Delhi court on Saturday and asked to sign a peace bond, with one of the key conditions requiring him to maintain peace and good behaviour for one year.
Dipke was produced before the Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg Police Station on Saturday morning after being arrested for allegedly violating a peace bond furnished by him on October 10, police sources said.
He was detained on Friday moments after stepping out of his house in Delhi’s Jhandewalan area to participate in the CJP’s “Lehra Do Tiranga” protest at Connaught Place. Delhi Police had served him two notices ahead of the scheduled 5 pm march, and more than 20 police personnel visited his residence to deliver them.
The first notice barred him from holding a demonstration, procession or rally in the vicinity of Connaught Place. The second, issued by the Special Executive Magistrate, concerned the bond conditions imposed on Dipke and CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.
The notice reiterated that the three had been taken into preventive custody and produced before a court, which had directed them to maintain peace and good behaviour for one year.
On October 10, Dipke, Das and Ranka were taken into preventive custody ahead of a planned protest and produced before a Special Executive Magistrate’s court at the Delhi Cantonment Police Station. They were released after furnishing surety bonds of Rs 50,000 each and undertaking to maintain peace and good behaviour for a year.
Dipke and All India Students’ Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora were also arrested under preventive provisions on Friday, ahead of the planned rally in the national capital. Police had invoked prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). CJP representatives alleged that Dipke was taken to an undisclosed location without immediate access to lawyers.
“Based on the assurance given in the peace bond, he was let off. We are awaiting the written order for further details,” a senior police officer told PTI.
Police have not issued a separate statement on the bail order. Security in and around Mandir Marg Police Station was stepped up to maintain law and order.
Delhi Police have registered multiple FIRs over alleged violations of prohibitory orders imposed in Connaught Place and other parts of New Delhi during protests on Friday, officials said. Despite repeated announcements asking people not to assemble, a crowd gathered around Connaught Place, police said, adding that action would be taken against those violating the orders, including repeat offenders.
Police detained more than 150 protesters on Friday and registered multiple FIRs for allegedly breaching prohibitory orders.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI)
