Dipke gets exemption from in-person appearance before magistrate on medical grounds

The SEM at Mandir Marg police station allowed the exemption on Tuesday after Abhijeet Dipke’s counsel cited medical grounds for his absence.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has been granted an exemption from appearing in-person before the special executive magistrate (SEM) regarding the preventive inquiry against him.

The SEM at Mandir Marg police station allowed the exemption on Tuesday after Dipke’s counsel, Abhik Chimni, cited medical grounds for his absence. The matter has been posted for December 2 for further proceedings.

During the proceedings, Chimni was also provided copies of the “kalandra” (preventive police report) and other legal documents that the Delhi Police relied on to issue Dipke a show-cause notice, asking him to furnish a bond for maintaining peace.

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This development comes weeks after Dipke was granted conditional bail by an SEM following his arrest over an alleged breach of a peace bond he furnished earlier. One principal condition imposed on him was that he must ensure no breach of peace on his part for a period of one year.

Dipke was detained on October 16 while heading towards Connaught Place for a protest march called by the CJP under the banner of ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’. The march was called despite a Delhi Police notice asking him not to participate, citing prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

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He was subsequently arrested on October 17 for allegedly violating a peace bond furnished on October 10. He was later released on a conditional bail bond by the special executive magistrate. The bond was intended to secure an undertaking from him to maintain peace and prevent any disturbance to public order for a year.

Arnabjit Sur is a Senior Correspondent with Hindustan Times who primarily covers stories from the capital's trial courts. Previously, he has worked for English dailies such as The Hindu, Indian Express and Millennium Post, where he has focused on crime and legal stories, especially incorporating both the subjects into producing long-form investigative work. Known for his penchant for minutely tracking high-profile cases with both city and national relevance, he has broken several chargesheets and police remand papers in his six-year-long career. In this present role, he uses his expertise in skimming through lengthy judgements, attending and analysing court hearings and converting them into a lucid, readable format for seamless news consumption. He has a preference for looking beyond the courtroom to highlight their human impact.Read More