CJP Founder’s Grandmother Dies While He Is in Police Custody

Savitribai Shankarrao Dipke, the 85-year-old grandmother of Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, died in Maharashtra on Saturday, October 10, while he was in Delhi Police custody, according to family sources cited in reports. Her death was reported hours after Dipke was detained in Delhi, where he had travelled for a planned protest with party activists. Family sources said Savitribai died at the family’s home in Santuk Pimpri, in Hingoli district. One account said she had been unwell for about a month and had previously been hospitalised in Hingoli. Her last rites were scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday, October 11, according to a cousin cited in one report. Dipke travelled from Mumbai to Delhi with CJP activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to attend a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Reports said Delhi Police detained them after the flight arrived; CJP said its leaders were detained inside the aircraft. The supplied accounts do not include a police statement establishing the circumstances of the detention. The party had planned to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.