'Rs 60,000 Salary, US Education?' RTI Activist Seeks Inquiry Into CJP's Dipke Family

A Surat based RTI activist has sought an inquiry into the finances of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke's family and questioned the party's Rs 1 crore legal defence fund announced by senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal.

Activist Amit Tiwari said he has written to the Election Commission of India and Central GST authorities seeking a review of the CJP's registration status and funding. "The Cockroach Janta Party is an unregistered entity but is operating as a political party," Tiwari said. He added that if the party is not registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, its operations and collection of funds "may require examination."

Tiwari also raised questions about the financial background of Bhagwanrao Dipke, a retired Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) deputy engineer and father of Abhijeet Dipke. "If a person received a salary of Rs 60,000 to Rs 65,000, how was he able to afford the education of his children in the US?" he asked, seeking a probe into the family's financial sources.

Bhagwanrao Dipke defended the family and said there was nothing unusual about funding his son's education. He said the expenses were managed through "savings, planning and an education loan." He added that he had taken a loan for Abhijeet's studies at Boston University and was still repaying it. He also said, "All records are available and anyone can verify them."

Abhijeet Dipke studied journalism in Pune before moving to the US for higher education. The CJP came into focus during protests linked to the NEET paper leak issue and later announced legal support for protesters facing police cases.

Sibal had announced a Rs 1 crore contribution for the legal defence fund. Tiwari has also asked GST authorities whether 18 percent GST applies to the amount.