CJP founder Dipke briefly detained after placard protest at Marine Drive

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was briefly taken to the Marine Drive police station on Thursday after he was spotted carrying placards at the iconic Mumbai promenade, ahead of his organisation's proposed October 2 protest.Dipke had gathered at Marine Drive with a group of supporters holding placards, according to a police official. A team including a woman inspector approached him and escorted him to the police station in a police van.According to the official, the woman officer asked Dipke about his identity and hometown while taking him to the police station.Mumbai Police, however, denied detaining Dipke. Officials said he was at Marine Drive around 5 pm, where he was meeting people and asking questions of police personnel deployed there. Dipke later gave a different account of the incident. He said a woman police officer asked him to accompany her for a cup of tea, following which he was taken to the police station and later told he could leave. He claimed the officer told him, "Your chai is pending with us."Dipke said he was not served tea at the station and alleged that the episode was aimed at wasting his time. He also suggested that the officer may have received instructions from senior officials to release him. The incident came a day before the CJP's proposed protest on Gandhi Jayanti. Dipke has announced that his organisation would seek the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.Mumbai Police has denied permission for the proposed protest, citing restrictions governing gatherings at Shivaji Park, the absence of required civic permission and concerns over traffic movement and the passage of emergency vehicles.- Ends