Savitribai Shankar Dipke, the 85-year-old paternal grandmother of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder and convener Abhijeet Dipke, passed away on Saturday in Maharashtra. She breathed her last at the family’s ancestral home in Santuk Pimpri village in Hingoli district after a prolonged illness. The tragic news reached the family while Dipke remained under police detention hundreds of kilometers away in the national capital.
Family members confirmed that Savitribai had been ailing due to age-related complications for the past several weeks. Her health took a turn for the worse on Saturday morning, leading to her demise shortly before noon. According to reports from NDTV, relatives and local villagers began gathering at the family residence in Santuk Pimpri to pay their last respects ahead of the funeral rites.
Detention at Delhi Airport Stalls Family Reunion
The personal tragedy struck Dipke while he remained confined by law enforcement authorities in New Delhi. Earlier in the morning, Delhi Police personnel boarded a commercial flight at Indira Gandhi International Airport and detained Dipke immediately upon arrival. Officers also detained accompanying CJP functionaries Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.
Authorities intercepted the youth leaders to thwart their planned mobilization at Jantar Mantar. The party had called for a peaceful demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter deletion controversy. Furthermore, as reported by India Today, Dipke was taken into preventive custody without prior notice and moved to an undisclosed facility, preventing him from communicating with his family during their bereavement.
Family Gathers as Demands for Release Grow
Following the news of Savitribai’s passing, Dipke’s parents left their residence to reach the ancestral village in Hingoli to oversee the final ceremonies. However, Dipke’s continued detention sparked immense distress among family members, who struggled to establish direct contact with him through official channels.
Legal representatives and party colleagues urgently petitioned Delhi Police to release the CJP founder on humanitarian grounds so he could attend his grandmother’s last rites. In addition, coverage by The Statesman highlighted that advocates submitted an emergency representation highlighting the gravity of the situation. Consequently, supporters criticized the administrative rigidity that kept a young political activist in custody during a family tragedy.
Wider Opposition Backlash Amid National Capital Curbs
The development prompted widespread emotional and political reactions from civil society and Opposition leaders. Several political figures condemned the detention as callous, emphasizing that authorities should extend basic dignity and compassionate leave to political detainees facing family losses.
Meanwhile, extensive security curbs remained in place across New Delhi throughout the day. Police maintained barricades across central corridors, detaining hundreds of demonstrators, student activists, and political leaders, including former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Therefore, civil rights groups noted by The Indian Express reiterated that heavy-handed preventive detentions unnecessarily disrupt personal and constitutional liberties during peaceful public assemblies.
Curated news reports, in-depth analysis, and special features by India’s Opinion editorial team.
