Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, was taken into preventive custody by Delhi Police over concerns about a potential breakdown of public order, while Neha Bora — head of the All India Students' Association — was released once the required detention procedures had been completed.

Heightened security measures were already in place across the national capital ahead of the Chief Justice's 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march through Connaught Place on Friday, forming the conditions under which police subsequently acted.

Authorities detained Dipke as he made his way to join a planned demonstration targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over reported discrepancies in voter rolls and calls for the Election Commission to answer for its conduct.

Relations between protesters and Delhi Police grew more strained following the latest developments. The force had already gone on record opposing the gathering, citing standing prohibitory orders alongside concerns over public order, traffic movement, and the interests of commuters, traders, and local residents.

Dipke's detention followed the activation of preventive provisions under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. A court appearance before a Special Executive Magistrate was scheduled for him.

Ratna Singh, legal head at CJP, posted on X to announce that Dipke had been taken into custody and would be brought before the SEM court. She also raised concerns about his whereabouts, stating that legal representatives had been kept from reaching him and that Delhi Police had moved Dipke to a location that was not being disclosed. Singh stated that contact with him had been lost.

The chief justice noted, after the detention took place, that the individual in custody had not been given access to legal counsel.

Neha Bora, who heads AISA, had been stopped by police while travelling to join the demonstration and was released once officers completed the procedural steps set out under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act. Police detained Bora at Mandi House on Friday, as groups of student activists and other demonstrators gathered in an effort to participate in the 'Lehra Do Tiranga' rally.

Questions about where Bora was being held and whether anyone could reach her were raised by AISA and fellow activists once news of her detention spread. According to AISA, Bora was transported to multiple locations around Delhi over the course of several hours following her detention. The group further alleged that legal representatives who arrived at RK Puram police station around midnight were not given access to her.

Delhi Police withheld authorisation for the planned march, pointing to prohibitory orders covering the Connaught Place area and the potential for public order to be affected. A notice had been served on Dipke by police beforehand, directing him to refrain from holding the event at Central Park. Section 163 of the BNSS had been applied and was operative throughout the locality.

Preventive measures under Sections 126 and 170 of the BNSS were applied against Dipke as part of the proceedings. Verifying the details captured in any FIR — the named individuals, the charges laid, and the conduct in question — would require consulting either the official police record or a formal statement from the relevant authority.

The gathering at Connaught Place was organised by CJP to raise objections over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with what the group described as discrepancies in electoral rolls and voter lists. Accountability for those who oversaw the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls stood as one of the key demands put forward by the protesters.

Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, both members of CJP, had been detained and placed under judicial remand after an incident at Jantar Mantar on 13 October — a sequence of events that formed the immediate context for the march. Charges were brought against the activists on the grounds that they had entered the location after its status as an approved protest area was formally withdrawn.

On Friday, large numbers of police and paramilitary personnel were positioned throughout Connaught Place and the surrounding streets. On October 16 and 17, entry to Central Park was blocked off for the general public, with fencing and posted guards limiting movement through portions of the grounds. Units from the Rapid Action Force were brought in as part of the deployment.

Supporters of CJP and student activists assembled at multiple locations around the city — Connaught Place and Mandi House among them — waving the national flag and voicing slogans, even with the restrictions in place. Approximately 150 individuals were taken into custody, according to police, as authorities worked to maintain public order and prevent traffic disruptions.

A written request from Rohan Deshpande, head of CJP, was sent to the station house officer at Mandir Marg police station, asking where Dipke was being held, which legal provisions had been applied against him, and what justification underpinned his preventive detention.

AISA raised concerns that Bora had been moved between different locations following her detention and put forward questions about why legal representatives had been unable to reach her. A statement from Delhi Police described the operations as efforts to maintain order and prevent disruption across central parts of the city.