Concern after Neha Bora’s detention, delegation meets senior cops
Concerns over the whereabouts of All India Students’ Association (AISA) activist Neha Bora mounted on Friday night after her supporters alleged that she had been moved to an undisclosed location following her detention by Delhi Police during protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Social media was flooded with posts seeking information about Bora and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, both of whom were detained ahead of the CJP’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march in Connaught Place.
Bora’s X account shared a video purportedly showing her being taken away in a vehicle with darkened windows. An earlier post on the account, at around 8 pm, said she had been traced to an Anti-Narcotics unit in Mangolpuri while in police custody. However, subsequent posts raised concerns that she had been moved elsewhere and demanded that the authorities disclose her whereabouts.
According to reports, Bora was detained near Mandi House while marching towards Central Park with the national flag. Her aides later alleged that she had been taken to an unknown location and that she did not have access to her phone.
Meanwhile, a delegation comprising AISA activist Anjali, advocate Manik Gupta, RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj, professor Jitendra Meena and other activists and civil society members was heading to Parliament Street Police Station to meet senior police officials and seek information about those detained.
Dipke was detained earlier in the day while leaving his residence in the Jhandewalan area to join the proposed march at Connaught Place. Police had served him a notice asking him not to proceed with the event, citing prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The Indian Express quoting police sources reported that Dipke was taken to Jafarpur Kalan police station. His detention came days after he was taken into custody following his arrival in Delhi from Mumbai for an earlier protest.
The detentions came amid heightened security in central Delhi, where the CJP had called for a march demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The group had also called the latest protest in response to the arrests of its members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were sent to judicial custody after entering Jantar Mantar with the national flag.
More than 150 people had been detained during protests at Connaught Place and Mandi House, according to police reports. Demonstrators and activists have demanded the release of those detained and questioned the police action against peaceful protesters.