Police personnel entered the aircraft arriving from Mumbai and took Dipke and two fellow CJP leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, into custody. Dipke broadcast the police intervention live on Instagram, bringing public attention to the operation.
The CJP confirmed the three detentions, which followed the authorities’ refusal to permit Saturday’s demonstration. Police had sought cancellation of the gathering amid extensive security arrangements across Delhi.
The action at the airport came as officers detained demonstrators elsewhere in the capital. Around 200 people were taken into custody during operations intended to prevent protesters assembling near Jantar Mantar, the designated location for the CJP’s rally.
Police deployed personnel, established barricades and restricted access to sensitive areas. Transport disruptions and restrictions on mobile internet in parts of central Delhi further complicated movement as supporters attempted to reach the protest venue.
Dipke had travelled from Mumbai despite warnings that organisers could face detention. Before leaving, he said he was prepared to go to jail rather than abandon the campaign against alleged wrongful deletions from electoral rolls.
The CJP’s principal demand is the resignation of Kumar, whom it accuses of overseeing an electoral roll revision that has deprived eligible citizens of voting rights. The movement argues that the Special Intensive Revision exercise has disproportionately affected vulnerable voters.
The Election Commission rejects allegations of politically motivated manipulation. It maintains that verification is intended to improve the accuracy of voter lists and that eligible people excluded in error have procedures available to seek restoration.
The dispute has become a broader confrontation over electoral administration, political accountability and the right to demonstrate. Opposition groups have questioned the revision process, while the Bharatiya Janata Party denies accusations that it has benefited from deliberate exclusion of voters.
The CJP disputes the authorities’ decision to prohibit the Jantar Mantar gathering, maintaining that peaceful public assembly is a democratic right. Police have defended restrictions on demonstrations as necessary for maintaining public order and security.
Saturday’s airport intervention was conspicuous because officers boarded an aircraft rather than waiting for the organisers to leave the terminal. The Instagram broadcast showed the police presence as the movement’s founder faced detention before reaching the streets of Delhi.
There was no independently confirmed information immediately available on whether formal criminal charges had been registered against the three leaders, how long they would remain in custody or whether they would be brought before a magistrate.
The distinction between preventive detention and arrest under a registered criminal case is significant. Detention does not by itself establish that an individual has been charged with an offence, and the legal basis for the airport operation had not been publicly detailed.
The CJP had urged supporters to remain peaceful, avoid damaging property and refrain from forcing their way through police barricades. Its advisory also called for restraint when recording and circulating material concerning the demonstration.
Those instructions followed heightened tension between the organisers and authorities over access to the protest location. The group had encouraged participation despite the denial of permission, placing its supporters at risk of confrontation with officers enforcing restrictions.
Earlier in the week, Das had publicly warned that CJP organisers could be detained before Saturday’s mobilisation. He identified Dipke, Ranka and other members of the leadership among those he believed might face police action.
The movement’s organisers have used social media to mobilise young supporters and circulate their demands. Dipke’s decision to broadcast the airport encounter was consistent with that approach, allowing followers to see the intervention while it was unfolding.
Separate detention claims also emerged from members of the CJP’s legal team. Ratna Singh, associated with the organisation’s legal work, said she and other lawyers had been detained ahead of the gathering.
The planned protest was described by organisers as Jantar Mantar 2.0, reflecting an effort to renew demonstrations focused on the Election Commission. CJP supporters had also held an event in Bengaluru on Thursday concerning the electoral roll controversy.
Saturday’s preparations included additional police checks and restrictions around central Delhi, with authorities seeking to prevent crowds from converging on Jantar Mantar. The CJP had called for demonstrations beyond the capital as part of its campaign.
