By GlobalDeskNews Staff | New Delhi | October 10, 2026
Delhi Police boarded a landed aircraft at IGI Airport on Saturday morning and detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke with co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, straight from the plane. Abhijeet Dipke detained at Delhi airport hours before the banned "Jantar Mantar 2.0" protest — the image of a locked-down capital.
Officers entered the cabin while passengers were still on board. Dipke went live on Instagram as they reached him; the video shows commotion as CJP members argued with the team. A senior officer confirmed it to the Hindustan Times.
Abhijeet Dipke detained at Delhi airport: what happened on the plane
The Hindustan Times live blog (11:09 am IST) said southwest district teams were positioned at the airport to detain the three leaders on arrival; a senior officer confirmed it.
The detention happened inside the aircraft, not the terminal. Party members confronted the cops and chanted slogans — the Economic Times reported "Inquilab Zindabad" among the cries — showing how far police would go to keep the protest's leadership away.
"Come arrest us, we are not afraid": the exchange on camera
Dipke didn't stay quiet. To the women officers who boarded, he said: "You could have waited till we came out. Come arrest us, we are not afraid" — meant for his livestream.
The ANI video caught another moment. Dipke said, "...I have come here to be arrested; arrest me." The reply: "No, this is not an arrest. Please cooperate." Every outlet has called it a detention, not an arrest.
"Even Indra Gandhi didn't do this": CJP's response
Dipke reacted: "Even Indra Gandhi didn't do this," per the Economic Times — a reference to the 1975 Emergency.
The party "strongly condemns" the "authoritarian detention" of the three leaders "straight from their flight upon landing in Delhi today" — a "pre-planned interception" that "aims to cripple the leadership of today's peaceful demonstrations before they even reach the protest site." It demanded their immediate, unconditional release.
The wider crackdown: 400+ detained, Delhi under lockdown
NDTV reported more than 400 suspected protesters detained overnight. Entry and exit gates at 45 Delhi Metro stations have been shut since 9 pm Friday, with over 20,000 police and CAPF personnel deployed — the apparatus we detailed in our earlier report on Delhi's security arrangements.
Protesters and independent media persons were detained near Jantar Mantar, and the media was denied entry to the site; PTI reported heavy traffic jams in Central Delhi. The detention of YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in Gurugram had set the tone earlier.
AAP accuses the Centre of a "black emergency"
AAP accused the BJP-led Centre of a "black emergency"; AAP MLA Gopal Rai said: "Instead of removing CEC Gyanesh Kumar, the Centre has declared a black emergency in the country. Today, to protect Kumar, you have turned Delhi into a cantonment. But remember this, it does not matter how much force you push in, this movement will not be suppressed."
The SIR dispute at the heart of it
Saturday's banned "Jantar Mantar 2.0" plan demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Police denied permission on Friday, citing the short-notice October 7 application and past violations; Section 163 BNSS is in force in the New Delhi district.
Dipke has alleged around 13 crore voters were removed from the rolls since 2024 — his claim, not an established fact. The Election Commission rejected the allegations, telling HT the SIR was decided unanimously. Rahul Gandhi also amped up his criticism of the CEC ahead of the protest.
Why it matters
Detaining protest leaders inside a landed aircraft is not routine. For the CJP, this is fuel — its founder on a livestream telling officers he is not afraid, plus a ready-made Emergency comparison. For the authorities, the logic is containment; the risk is overreach.
Legally, one ANI line keeps getting replayed: "No, this is not an arrest." Preventive detention is a long way from formal charges, and none have been reported.
What happens next
The question is whether any CJP presence reaches Jantar Mantar despite the leadership's detention. With the media excluded, independent verification will be difficult; NDTV's overnight figure of 400-plus is a moving tally, not a final one.
Beyond Saturday, the fallout runs on: AAP's "black emergency" charge, opposition pressure on the Election Commission, and the Commission's insistence that the SIR was decided unanimously.
Key Takeaways
- CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained inside their aircraft at Delhi's IGI Airport on Saturday — straight from the plane.
- Dipke went live on Instagram as officers boarded: "Come arrest us, we are not afraid." Police replied it was not an arrest.
- A senior police officer confirmed the detention to HT.
- The CJP called it an "authoritarian detention," demanding the trio's immediate, unconditional release.
- Wider crackdown: 400-plus detained overnight (NDTV), 45 Metro stations shut, 20,000+ police and CAPF deployed, media denied entry to the site.
- The banned "Jantar Mantar 2.0" protest demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over alleged SIR irregularities; the EC says the SIR was decided unanimously.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Abhijeet Dipke detained at Delhi airport?
Delhi Police detained Dipke with CJP co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka inside their aircraft at IGI Airport on Saturday morning, hours before the banned "Jantar Mantar 2.0" protest — a move aimed at stopping the leadership reaching the site.
Was Abhijeet Dipke arrested or detained?
Detained, not arrested. Officers told Dipke on camera, "No, this is not an arrest. Please cooperate." No charges have been reported against any of the three so far, and every major outlet covering the story has described it as a detention.
What did Dipke say to the police on the plane?
On Instagram live as officers boarded on Saturday, Dipke told the women officers: "You could have waited till we came out. Come arrest us, we are not afraid." He later added, "Even Indra Gandhi didn't do this," per the Economic Times.
What is the CJP's "Jantar Mantar 2.0" protest about?
The CJP's Saturday protest demands Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Delhi Police banned it on Friday, citing a short-notice application filed on October 7 and past violations.
How big is the police crackdown in Delhi today?
Large and still developing. NDTV reported over 400 detained overnight; 45 Metro stations shut entry and exit gates since 9 pm Friday; over 20,000 police and CAPF personnel deployed; and trains to New Delhi and Nizamuddin were cancelled from 4 am to 2 pm.
What happens next after the airport detention?
The question is whether any CJP presence reaches Jantar Mantar despite the leadership's detention. No charges have been announced, the figures are still moving, and the fight over the Election Commission and the SIR shows no sign of ending with Saturday's barricades.
Sources
GlobalDeskNews verified the core facts of this story against full reporting from the following outlets on October 10, 2026. Quotes are attributed to the outlet that carried them.
- NDTV — Abhijeet Dipke detained from plane at Delhi airport ahead of CJP's Jantar Mantar protest
- Hindustan Times — CJP Jantar Mantar protest live updates (11:09 IST)
- The Economic Times — Watch: how Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained directly from inside the plane
- New Indian Express — Jantar Mantar protest live: detentions in crackdown ahead of CJP stir