Hingoli (Maharashtra) [India], October 11 (ANI): The parents of Abhijeet Dipke on Sunday expressed disappointment over his inability to attend his grandmother's funeral, claiming that Delhi Police could have shown leniency and released him in time to pay his last respects.
Speaking in Hingoli, Maharashtra, his father, Bhagwan Dipke, said that even if the police had required his son to return to Delhi after the funeral, he could have been allowed to attend the final rites.
"If they (Delhi Police) had released him on time—or even released him on the condition that he had to return to Delhi after the funeral—he certainly could have come to see his grandmother," Bhagwan Dipke said.
He added that he had seen on Instagram that his son had reached Nagpur and alleged that the police should either have avoided disclosing certain details or allowed him sufficient time to see his grandmother for the last time.
"The police made a mistake; they shouldn't have mentioned things that weren't meant to be disclosed. And if they did mention it, they should have given him some time—time for the final viewing of his grandmother," he said.
Abhijeet's mother, Anita Dipke, also expressed disappointment, saying that her son had been expected to travel from Mumbai to Hingoli on Saturday night to attend his grandmother's funeral.
"They (Delhi Police) should have let him go first. He was actually supposed to arrive here from Mumbai last night—coming straight here for his grandmother's funeral," she said.
Anita Dipke said that had her son been released earlier, he could have attended the funeral and that the police should have considered the family's bereavement.
"Given such a tragic event, the Delhi Police could have shown some leniency and let him go; it would have been a relief to us," she added.
Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke travelled from Mumbai to New Delhi on October 10, 2026, along with party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to participate in a planned protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
However, Delhi Police detained the three leaders shortly after their flight landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport. On the same day, Dipke’s paternal grandmother, Savitribai Shankarrao Dipke, 85, died at their native village of Santuk Pimpri in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district after a prolonged illness. Delhi Police said Dipke was informed of her death and offered assistance to travel home for the last rites, while his family alleged that their requests for his timely release to attend the funeral were not addressed.
Her last rites were held on the morning of October 11, while Dipke remained in detention in Delhi. He was subsequently released and left for Maharashtra to be with his family. (ANI)
Abhijeet Dipke's parents allege Delhi Police's delay prevented him from attending grandmother's funeral
