Neha traced seven hours after being 'detained'; where is Dipke, asks CJP
Neha Bora, picked up near Mandi House, was allowed to meet her lawyers well past midnight; no news of Abhijeet Dipke who was detained at 5 p.m.
Abhijeet Dipke detained by Mandir Marg police on Friday, 16 October at 4.50 p.m. Whereabouts not known till well past midnight
AISA president Neha Bora was picked up near Mandi House around 5 p.m.
After hours of suspense over whereabouts, Bora's lawyers were allowed to meet her after midnight at R.K. Puram police station
Suspense on the whereabouts of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and AISA president Neha Bora—detained on Friday, 16 October, while they were on their way to Connaught Place in New Delhi to participate in the Tiranga march—continued through the evening.
AISA said Bora had been shifted from one location to another across Delhi and lawyers were allowed to meet her in the presence of police officers at R.K. Puram police station around midnight. However, the reason for keeping her at the police station overnight was not disclosed.
According to an Instagram update, the police had offered to let Bora leave after signing a bond, but she had refused. This the post said, did not constitute a formal arrest and described the police action as an alleged illegal abduction. AISA alleged that police had not clarified when she would be released and were refusing to provide her medicines despite knowing she has been unwell for the past few days.
The CJP said Dipke's whereabouts remained unknown after his detention. It alleged that Dipke had been taken to an undisclosed location and they had lost contact with him
"Abhijeet was just walking out of his home with a Tricolour in his hand! How can walking with a tiranga be a crime?" the CJP asked, adding that detentions would not deter people from joining the protests.
In a letter to Mandir Marg station house officer, CJP leader Rohan Deshpande said, "Since his detention, we have received no information regarding his present location or the police station or facility where he is being held. This lack of information is deeply concerning."
He urged Delhi Police to immediately confirm Dipke's present whereabouts, the legal provisions invoked and the grounds communicated for his preventive detention.
Shortly before AISA learnt of Bora's whereabouts, activist Anjali had in a post on Instagram, said a delegation of lawyers and civil society members was denied entry to Parliament Street police station. The delegation had gone at 10.30 p.m. to inquire about her whereabouts and file a missing persons complaint.
Anjali alleged that a gender-minority person had been picked up by male police personnel around 5 p.m. and taken away without their phone. She claimed that lawyers were subsequently prevented from filing a missing-persons complaint.
In a social media post, AISA claimed that she had been “taken away in an unmarked car with blackened windows” and that her whereabouts remained unknown.
According to the account provided, Bora was picked up from Mandi House around 5.20 p.m. when she began marching with supporters.
In a social media post,AISA said she had been “taken away in an unmarked car with blackened windows” and that her whereabouts remained unknown.
Former AISA president and CPI(ML) Liberation leader N Sai Balaji had earlier questioned the police over Bora's detention and the reported change in her location.
"Delhi Police please answer why Neha was detained alone by plain clothed men in a bus? Her last location shows she was taken to Anti-Narcotics Cell, Mangalapuri. Then why is the PS (police station) saying she is not there," Balaji said.