NEW DELHI, Oct. 12 -- Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Monday accused Delhi Police of mentally harassing him and his family during his detention, challenging the force to release the complete, unedited footage of his interaction with officers after he was informed of his grandmother's death in Maharashtra.

The allegations came a day after Delhi Police released a 1-minute, 45-second video showing officers informing Dipke about the death and offering assistance for his journey home. Dipke alleged that the footage had been selectively edited to omit his repeated requests to contact his cousin, retrieve his mobile phone and consult a lawyer. He also claimed that officers pressured him to sign arrest-related documents and threatened him with prolonged imprisonment.

Dispute over police video

Speaking to reporters, Dipke questioned why the police had not released the entire recording of his interaction with officers. He alleged that he had repeatedly sought permission to contact his cousin, who lived with his grandmother, but was denied access to his phone even briefly to retrieve her number.

"I repeatedly requested them to let me meet my cousin, return my phone and allow me to meet my lawyer. Why are they not releasing the entire video? They are showing an edited version," he said. Dipke maintained that access to legal counsel was a basic right and questioned the police's decision to publicise only a portion of the conversation. He challenged the authorities to make the complete footage available so that the circumstances of his detention and treatment could be examined. At a media interaction on Sunday, Deputy Commissioner of Police Neha Yadav had released the video and said officers informed Dipke about his grandmother's death with sensitivity. According to the police, he was offered assistance with travel arrangements, including flights, and opportunities to contact his family, but declined.

Allegations of pressure

Dipke alleged that officers woke him around 3.30 am and demanded that he sign arrest papers, warning that he could remain in jail for an extended period. He said he refused to sign any documents until he was allowed to consult his lawyer. He further claimed that officers wanted him to call his parents and inform them that he would remain in custody for a long time, despite knowing that the family was grieving his grandmother's death.

Dipke alleged that the request was intended to cause additional distress to his parents. He said he did not know where he was being held and had not been allowed to meet his lawyer, making it unreasonable for the police to insist that he contact his family under those circumstances. "The Delhi Police were trying to mentally torture me and my family," he alleged. There was no immediate police response to the fresh allegations at the time of the report.

Grandmother died during detention

Dipke's paternal grandmother, Savitribai Shankarrao Dipke, 85, died on October 10 following a prolonged illness at the family's ancestral village of Santuk Pimpri in Maharashtra's Hingoli district.

Dipke had travelled from Mumbai to Delhi to participate in the CJP's proposed demonstration at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He was detained by Delhi Police after his aircraft landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday. His detention prevented him from attending his grandmother's last rites on Sunday. Following his release, he travelled to Nagpur by air and proceeded by road to his ancestral village, where he visited the cremation ground to pay his respects. The controversy intensified after Dipke's family questioned the police's handling of the situation. His mother alleged that the family had been unable to contact him and disputed the authorities' account of the assistance offered.

Police subsequently released the video to counter allegations that Dipke had not been informed about the death or provided an opportunity to return home.

CJP vows to continue protests

Dipke also rejected reports suggesting that the bond executed following his release contained a condition preventing him from participating in protests for a year. He maintained that he had not signed any such undertaking and that the organisation would continue its campaign. The CJP has been demanding Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Its planned October 10 demonstration was followed by widespread detentions and restrictions on public assembly in central Delhi.

The organisation has criticised the police response, alleging that preventive measures were used to suppress peaceful demonstrations. Delhi Police have maintained that restrictions were imposed to preserve public order. The dispute over Dipke's detention has now centred on conflicting accounts of his treatment in custody, particularly whether he was provided reasonable access to legal counsel and family members after receiving news of the bereavement. While police have released footage supporting their claim that assistance was offered, Dipke insists that the complete recording is necessary to establish what occurred during the interaction. His allegations of intimidation and denial of legal assistance remain contested.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.