The Crossbill Team
AISA president Neha Bora was released on Saturday morning (October 17), after her lawyers alleged that she had been arbitrarily detained, denied access to legal counsel and repeatedly transferred between undisclosed locations by Delhi Police.
Meanwhile, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke remained in custody, with police saying he had been detained under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The two leaders were detained on Friday (October 16), amid a sweeping security operation in the national capital ahead of the “Lehra Do Tiranga” protest. Their whereabouts remained unknown to their families, lawyers and associates for hours, triggering an overnight search and growing concerns over the legality of the detentions. At least 150 other people were also reportedly detained during the police action.
Around midnight, AISA announced that Bora had been traced to R.K. Puram police station. The organisation alleged that she had been kept inside a detention van on the road for five hours, as the only woman detainee. At 6.51 am on Saturday, Bora posted on X that she had been released.
In an urgent representation to senior Delhi Police officials, advocate Supantha Sinha, who represents Bora, said she had been detained near Mandi House Metro Station while attempting to participate in a peaceful protest. She was subsequently taken to the Anti-Narcotics Task Force facility at Palam, the representation stated.
Bora’s colleagues and lawyers then began trying to locate her, visiting different police facilities in search of information. According to Sinha’s representation, Bora did not have her mobile phone when she was detained. When her lawyers and colleagues reached the Palam facility and sought access to her, the police refused to let them meet her.
The representation further alleged that when lawyers insisted on access, citing Bora’s right to legal representation, the police moved her to another location without disclosing where she was being taken. Sinha called for immediate intervention, disclosure of Bora’s whereabouts and action against officials allegedly responsible for unlawful detention, denial of legal access and concealment of her location.
“Despite repeated requests, the officials have failed to disclose her destination or provide any information concerning her whereabouts to her lawyers,” Sinha wrote, urging the authorities to intervene immediately.
The lawyer argued that Bora’s continued detention, the denial of access to her legal representatives and the failure to disclose her location raised serious concerns about the protection of her fundamental rights. The representation cited guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in its October 11, 2026 ruling in Shailendra Mani Tripathi v. Govind Mohan, and sought her “immediate release”.
Ratna Singh, legal head of the CJP, also pressed for the release of both Bora and Dipke as efforts continued to establish their whereabouts.
The detentions have unfolded alongside a separate legal challenge over police restrictions imposed ahead of the protest. Advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi filed a contempt petition alleging that authorities continued to close Delhi Metro stations and restrict train services despite the Supreme Court’s October 9 directions in M.A. Baby v. Union of India.
The petition sought contempt proceedings against Union home secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chairperson D. Thara, accusing them of wilfully disobeying the court’s directions.
The plea described the police action as an “intentional attempt to bypass and undermine the authority and majesty of this Hon’ble Court”.
Dipke was detained outside his residence on Friday as he was preparing to leave for the protest venue. In a video of the detention, a police official can be heard telling him that he was being “preventively detained”. Hours later, his family and legal team were still reportedly seeking information about his precise location.
The CJP founder had alleged the previous night that he was being followed and monitored by people he identified as police personnel and Intelligence Bureau officials. The organisation said it was attempting to establish where he had been taken after his detention and intensified its campaign for his release, with appeals of support reportedly arriving from across the country.
As uncertainty over the two leaders’ whereabouts continued, a delegation of activists, lawyers and civil society members went to Parliament Street Police Station to seek information from senior police officials. The delegation alleged that its members were surrounded by police and paramilitary personnel.
Those who approached the police station included AISA activist Anjali, advocate Manik Gupta, Right to Information activist Anjali Bhardwaj and professor Jitendra Meena, among others. Women police personnel were also reportedly called to the station as tensions mounted.
The detentions took place amid an extensive security deployment across central Delhi ahead of the CJP’s planned gathering at 5 pm on Friday at Central Park in Connaught Place. The “Lehra Do Tiranga” protest was organised to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls conducted under his watch. The campaign also followed the detention of CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, who were allegedly arrested after waving the national flag at Jantar Mantar.
Around 32,000 security personnel were reportedly deployed in central Delhi ahead of the protest. The New Delhi Municipal Council had also declared Central Park closed to the public on October 16 and 17, citing “administrative reasons”. Delhi Police appealed to the public not to respond to calls for assembly.
The security operation followed a series of restrictions in the run-up to the demonstration, including the denial of permission for protests, the denotification of a protest site, metro station closures and the detention of student and youth leaders. Railway services were also halted at key locations as part of the security arrangements.
Despite the restrictions and arrests, the CJP declared the protest a success, claiming that large numbers of people had gathered at Connaught Place with the national flag.
“The Cockroach Janta Party declared today’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ action a resounding success as citizens turned up in large numbers at Connaught Place, holding the national flag high with pride and courage,” the outfit said.
Bora’s release has brought an end to the immediate uncertainty surrounding her detention, but questions over the circumstances of the arrests, access to legal counsel and the whereabouts and continued custody of Dipke remain.
Meanwhile, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke remained in custody, with police saying he had been detained under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The two leaders were detained on Friday (October 16), amid a sweeping security operation in the national capital ahead of the “Lehra Do Tiranga” protest. Their whereabouts remained unknown to their families, lawyers and associates for hours, triggering an overnight search and growing concerns over the legality of the detentions. At least 150 other people were also reportedly detained during the police action.
Around midnight, AISA announced that Bora had been traced to R.K. Puram police station. The organisation alleged that she had been kept inside a detention van on the road for five hours, as the only woman detainee. At 6.51 am on Saturday, Bora posted on X that she had been released.
I have been released! @DelhiPolice release all detained protestors! Fighting for Democracy and the Constitution cannot be criminalised!
— Neha (@neha_aisa) October 17, 2026
In an urgent representation to senior Delhi Police officials, advocate Supantha Sinha, who represents Bora, said she had been detained near Mandi House Metro Station while attempting to participate in a peaceful protest. She was subsequently taken to the Anti-Narcotics Task Force facility at Palam, the representation stated.
Bora’s colleagues and lawyers then began trying to locate her, visiting different police facilities in search of information. According to Sinha’s representation, Bora did not have her mobile phone when she was detained. When her lawyers and colleagues reached the Palam facility and sought access to her, the police refused to let them meet her.
The representation further alleged that when lawyers insisted on access, citing Bora’s right to legal representation, the police moved her to another location without disclosing where she was being taken. Sinha called for immediate intervention, disclosure of Bora’s whereabouts and action against officials allegedly responsible for unlawful detention, denial of legal access and concealment of her location.
“Despite repeated requests, the officials have failed to disclose her destination or provide any information concerning her whereabouts to her lawyers,” Sinha wrote, urging the authorities to intervene immediately.
The lawyer argued that Bora’s continued detention, the denial of access to her legal representatives and the failure to disclose her location raised serious concerns about the protection of her fundamental rights. The representation cited guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in its October 11, 2026 ruling in Shailendra Mani Tripathi v. Govind Mohan, and sought her “immediate release”.
Ratna Singh, legal head of the CJP, also pressed for the release of both Bora and Dipke as efforts continued to establish their whereabouts.
Release Abhijeet and Neha!
— Ratna Singh (@whattalawyer) October 16, 2026
The detentions have unfolded alongside a separate legal challenge over police restrictions imposed ahead of the protest. Advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi filed a contempt petition alleging that authorities continued to close Delhi Metro stations and restrict train services despite the Supreme Court’s October 9 directions in M.A. Baby v. Union of India.
The petition sought contempt proceedings against Union home secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chairperson D. Thara, accusing them of wilfully disobeying the court’s directions.
The plea described the police action as an “intentional attempt to bypass and undermine the authority and majesty of this Hon’ble Court”.
Dipke was detained outside his residence on Friday as he was preparing to leave for the protest venue. In a video of the detention, a police official can be heard telling him that he was being “preventively detained”. Hours later, his family and legal team were still reportedly seeking information about his precise location.
The CJP founder had alleged the previous night that he was being followed and monitored by people he identified as police personnel and Intelligence Bureau officials. The organisation said it was attempting to establish where he had been taken after his detention and intensified its campaign for his release, with appeals of support reportedly arriving from across the country.
As uncertainty over the two leaders’ whereabouts continued, a delegation of activists, lawyers and civil society members went to Parliament Street Police Station to seek information from senior police officials. The delegation alleged that its members were surrounded by police and paramilitary personnel.
Those who approached the police station included AISA activist Anjali, advocate Manik Gupta, Right to Information activist Anjali Bhardwaj and professor Jitendra Meena, among others. Women police personnel were also reportedly called to the station as tensions mounted.
The detentions took place amid an extensive security deployment across central Delhi ahead of the CJP’s planned gathering at 5 pm on Friday at Central Park in Connaught Place. The “Lehra Do Tiranga” protest was organised to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls conducted under his watch. The campaign also followed the detention of CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, who were allegedly arrested after waving the national flag at Jantar Mantar.
Around 32,000 security personnel were reportedly deployed in central Delhi ahead of the protest. The New Delhi Municipal Council had also declared Central Park closed to the public on October 16 and 17, citing “administrative reasons”. Delhi Police appealed to the public not to respond to calls for assembly.
The security operation followed a series of restrictions in the run-up to the demonstration, including the denial of permission for protests, the denotification of a protest site, metro station closures and the detention of student and youth leaders. Railway services were also halted at key locations as part of the security arrangements.
Despite the restrictions and arrests, the CJP declared the protest a success, claiming that large numbers of people had gathered at Connaught Place with the national flag.
“The Cockroach Janta Party declared today’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ action a resounding success as citizens turned up in large numbers at Connaught Place, holding the national flag high with pride and courage,” the outfit said.
Bora’s release has brought an end to the immediate uncertainty surrounding her detention, but questions over the circumstances of the arrests, access to legal counsel and the whereabouts and continued custody of Dipke remain.
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