NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has informed Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke about the death of his grandmother while he remains in detention in the national capital ahead of the party’s proposed protest against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.“It is now up to him whether he wants to stay back and continue the protest under detention or fly back for the last rites,” Delhi Police sources, quoted by news agency ANI said on Saturday.Dipke’s paternal grandmother, Savitribai Shankarrao Dipke, 85, died at her home in Santuk Pimpri village in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district at 11.30am on Saturday following a prolonged illness, family sources told PTI.She had been unwell for about a month and was earlier hospitalised in Hingoli. Her last rites are scheduled for 10am on Sunday.
‘Could not meet her in the last 20-25 days’
Dipke’s cousin said the family had been unable to contact him because he was detained in Delhi. His parents had been informed and were on their way to the village.He said Dipke had met his grandmother on August 15, when he launched the ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign in Hingoli district, and met her once more afterwards. He had not been able to see her in the last 20-25 days, family sources said.
CJP leaders detained ahead of protest
Dipke, along with CJP co-convenor Saurav Das and leader Ashutosh Ranka, was detained by Delhi Police after arriving in the capital from Mumbai on Saturday.The leaders had travelled to Delhi for the party’s proposed ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’ protest demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.Delhi Police had denied permission for the demonstration, citing public safety, traffic management and law-and-order concerns. Security was tightened across the capital ahead of the planned protest.The CJP has maintained that it will continue its campaign for free and fair elections and seek accountability from the Election Commission over the SIR exercise.(With agency inputs)