CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke's grandmother dies hours after his detention in Delhi

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke's 85-year-old paternal grandmother, Savitribai Dipke, died at their native village in Maharashtra's Hingoli district on Saturday, hours after he was detained by Delhi Police ahead of the party's planned protest.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke's paternal grandmother, Savitribai Dipke, died on Saturday at the age of 85, hours after he was detained by Delhi Police upon arriving in the national capital, ETV Bharat reported.

Sources told ETV Bharat that Savitribai had been unwell for the past few days and died on Saturday morning at the family's native village of Santuk Pimpri in Maharashtra's Hingoli district.

The news of her death came hours after Dipke was detained by Delhi Police aboard a flight from Mumbai to Delhi, where he was travelling with fellow CJP activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh to participate in the party's proposed protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

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Savitribai Dipke died on Saturday morning, aged 85. Her death was reported hours after Abhijeet Dipke was detained by Delhi Police.

Savitribai died at the family’s native village of Santuk Pimpri in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district. She had reportedly been unwell for the past few days.

It was unclear whether Dipke had been informed while he was in police custody. Sources said police were likely to arrange for him to travel to Sambhajinagar after he received the news.

Dipke was detained aboard a flight from Mumbai after arriving in Delhi with CJP activists. They were travelling to take part in a planned protest at Jantar Mantar.

The CJP planned to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing allegations of voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and changes involving Form 6.

Dipke's parents, Bhagwan Deepke and Anita, were in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar when news of Savitribai's death emerged. Family sources said they would leave immediately for Hingoli.

Police presence had been increased around their residence amid the planned protest in Delhi.

As Dipke remained in police custody, it was unclear whether he had been informed about his grandmother's death. Sources said police were likely to arrange for him to travel to Sambhajinagar once he received the news.

Why was security increased at Dipke's residence?

Earlier on Saturday, police stepped up security outside Dipke's residence in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in view of the planned protest, PTI reported, citing an official.

A senior police official said deployment had been increased outside his residence in the MIDC Waluj area.

"Earlier, one guard was stationed at Dipke's residence. Now the headquarters has deployed a team of 20 policemen considering the situation in New Delhi," an official from the local police station said.

Why is the CJP protesting in Delhi?

The CJP has called for a demonstration at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and changes relating to Form 6, which is used for voter registration.

Dipke and CJP activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were travelling from Mumbai to Delhi to participate in the proposed demonstration when they were detained by police upon arrival.

Delhi Police had denied permission for the planned protest, citing security considerations and procedural requirements. Security arrangements were stepped up across the national capital ahead of the demonstration.

About the Author

Anjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour.<br><br> Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture.<br><br> Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.