Latur: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) convenor Abhijeet Dipke and several party workers have been booked in Maharashtra’s Latur district for allegedly entering a government school without authorisation and intimidating teachers.
The case was registered at the Ausa police station against Dipke, CJP worker Ajinkya Shinde and other members of the party. The accused allegedly disrupted official work and threatened staff members at the Zilla Parishad Urdu school in Jawali, located near Ausa.
The FIR was lodged on the basis of a complaint filed by Sayyed Shamshadbano Khairatali, a 53-year-old teacher at the school.
Sections Invoked In FIR
Dipke and the other accused have been charged under Sections 132, 329(3), 351(2) and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Section 132 relates to assault or the use of criminal force to prevent a public servant from carrying out official duties. Section 329(3) deals with house-trespass, while Sections 351(2) and 356(2) concern criminal intimidation and criminal defamation, respectively.
As stated in the FIR, Dipke and his associates allegedly entered the school compound without securing permission from the authorities. They reportedly sat alongside students and questioned them about the facilities and overall condition of the school., as reported by Hindustan Times.
The complaint alleged that the group’s presence interfered with teaching and other government-related activities on the premises.
Dipke also allegedly filmed the visit and his interaction with the students before uploading the footage on social media, according to the FIR, as reported by Hindustan Times.
The schoolteacher further alleged that the CJP leader attempted to tarnish the institution’s reputation by claiming that students from another school had been brought in and seated inside the classrooms during his visit. Dipke was also accused of threatening to ensure the suspension of the teachers.
CJP’s School Inspection Drive
The incident occurred amid the CJP’s ongoing “School Thik Karo” campaign, under which CJP members have been visiting government schools to highlight shortcomings in education and basic infrastructure.
The campaign began on Independence Day from Dipke’s native village in Hingoli. Since its launch, CJP teams have visited schools in several states. While the initiative has drawn attention, CJP members have also encountered resistance during some visits.
On Friday, a CJP team was allegedly attacked by local residents while visiting a government school in Rampura Kanwarpura in Jaipur.
The party’s volunteers have also been stopped from entering municipal schools in Mumbai without prior permission. The city’s civic education department has barred CJP members from carrying out such visits without official authorisation.