Delhi Police have released video footage challenging the Cockroach Janta Party's claim that founder Abhijeet Dipke was not informed of his grandmother's death while in detention. The video shows officers conveying the news and offering help with travel and family contact.
The footage has prompted accusations online that CJP's account was false. Dipke has responded with a different complaint: he says police denied him access to his own phone to retrieve his cousin's number and refused a request to contact a lawyer.
What does the police video show?
In the clip released on October 11, a woman officer informs Dipke that his grandmother has died. Another officer offers to arrange transport so he can attend her funeral. When asked whether he will remain where he is, Dipke replies, “I will stay.”
An officer also offers to connect him with relatives using an official phone. Dipke says he does not remember a number. The police used the recording to counter allegations that they had withheld the news and denied assistance.
What did Delhi Police say?
DCP Neha Yadav said officers conveyed the bereavement promptly and sensitively. According to the police account, they offered help with flights, calls and travel to his hometown for the last rites, but Dipke declined.
The clarification followed allegations from Dipke's mother and CJP about his treatment in custody and communication with the family.
How did Abhijeet Dipke respond?
Dipke said he had requested his phone briefly to retrieve the number of a cousin who lived with his grandmother. He alleged that police refused this request and a call to his lawyer.
He also alleged that officers asked him at 3.30 am to call his father and say he would be going to jail for a long time. Dipke questioned why they sought that call while his father was grieving. These remain his allegations, rather than findings established by the released clip.
Does the video prove he was lying?
The footage supports the specific police position that officers told Dipke about the death and offered assistance during the recorded interaction. It contradicts the claim that he was never informed.
It does not, on its own, resolve every dispute about access to his personal phone, legal assistance or events outside the recorded exchange. Calling the entire episode a proven lie would go beyond what this footage establishes.
Timeline of the dispute
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| October 10, 2026 | Police detained Dipke and CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das inside an aircraft ahead of a planned Delhi protest. |
| October 11, 2026 | The leaders were released after being produced before an executive magistrate. Police released the video and rejected CJP's account. |
| October 11, 2026 | Dipke challenged the police account and raised allegations about phone and lawyer access. |
Police said they had denied permission for the proposed demonstration because of procedural requirements and restrictions in the New Delhi area. Following his release, Dipke said he was returning to Maharashtra to be with his family.