New Delhi: Savitribai Dipke, the paternal grandmother of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, passed away at the age of 85 on Saturday at her native village in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district. The news of her death emerged just hours after Dipke was detained by Delhi Police upon arriving in the national capital.

According to family sources quoted by ETV Bharat, Savitribai had been unwell for the past few days. She breathed her last on Saturday morning at Santuk Pimpri village in Hingoli district.

The family is now preparing to travel to the village to attend the last rites, while Dipke remains in police custody. It is not immediately clear whether he has been informed about his grandmother’s death.

Dipke detained after arriving in Delhi

Dipke was travelling from Mumbai to Delhi with fellow CJP activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. The group was reportedly heading to the national capital to participate in a proposed protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

According to reports, Delhi Police detained Dipke from inside the aircraft shortly after it landed. The detention came amid heightened security arrangements ahead of the planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar.

The CJP had called for a protest against the Chief Election Commissioner 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.

The circumstances surrounding Dipke’s detention and the possibility of his participation in the proposed demonstration remain key developments in the case.

Parents to leave for Hingoli

Dipke’s parents, Bhagwan Dipke and Anita, were in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar when news of Savitribai’s death reached the family. Their residence in the city has been under increased police surveillance in view of the planned protest in Delhi.

Family sources said his parents would leave immediately for Hingoli following the death of Savitribai.

With Dipke still in custody, uncertainty remains over whether he will be able to join his family for the funeral. Sources indicated that the police may arrange for him to travel to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after informing him about the bereavement.

However, no official confirmation was immediately available on whether such arrangements had been made.

Police strengthen security outside Dipke’s residence

Earlier on Saturday, police increased security outside Dipke’s residence in the MIDC Waluj area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar ahead of the planned protest in New Delhi.

PTI reported, citing an official, that additional personnel had been deployed to maintain security amid concerns surrounding the proposed demonstration.

A local police station official said Dipke’s residence had previously been guarded by one police personnel. The headquarters subsequently deployed a team of 20 policemen to the location, taking into account the situation in the national capital.

The increased deployment reflects the security measures being taken by local authorities as the political protest unfolds.

CJP protest linked to electoral-roll revision

The proposed demonstration at Jantar Mantar was called by the Cockroach Janta Party to raise allegations concerning the revision of electoral rolls and changes associated with Form 6.

Form 6 is used by eligible citizens to apply for inclusion in the electoral roll. The CJP has raised concerns about the Special Intensive Revision process and alleged irregularities in voter-list management.

The allegations remain claims made by the party, and the information available does not establish that voter-list manipulation occurred.

With Dipke detained and news of his grandmother’s death emerging on the same day, attention has shifted to whether he will be informed of the bereavement and permitted to travel to be with his family.