The Allahabad High Court refused to entertain a PIL seeking an investigation into alleged anti-national activities linked to the “Cockroach Janta Party,” holding that it lacked territorial jurisdiction. The Court granted liberty to the petitioner to approach the competent court instead.
The Allahabad High Court declined to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an investigation into alleged anti-national activities linked to an organisation called “Cockroach Janta Party”, holding that the petition was not maintainable before it due to lack of territorial jurisdiction.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Shekhar B. Saraf and Justice Abdhesh Kumar Chaudhary passed the order in a criminal PIL filed by Bengaluru resident S. Vignesh Shishir.
The petitioner had sought a detailed investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Abhijit Dipke, founder of the organisation known as Cockroach Janta Party.
The Bench said,
“Upon perusal of the writ petition, the first thing that strikes us is that the petitioner is a permanent resident of Bengaluru. In the cause title as well as in the affidavit, the petitioner shows his address as .. Bengaluru-560020. In our view, the petitioner, being a resident of Bengaluru and raising an issue that is of national importance, should have first approached the Karnataka High Court, if he so desired,”
The Court further observed that the facts of the case did not relate to Uttar Pradesh.
The Court remarked,
“In the present writ petition, we do not find anything specific to the State of Uttar Pradesh, and accordingly, we are of the view that the writ petition is not maintainable before this Court due to forum non conveniens.”
The Court also noted that, on earlier occasions, Shishir had consistently stated that he is a resident of Bengaluru and had sought preference and indulgence from this Court on the ground that he comes from Bengaluru.
In response to the Court’s observations, Shishir requested permission to withdraw the petition.
The Court thereafter passed the following order,
“In light of the same, the writ petition is disposed of with the aforesaid liberty of filing a fresh criminal public interest writ petition before a Court having competent jurisdiction.”
According to the petition, Dipke, who is originally from Pune and is presently residing in the United States of America, had established the organisation, which the petitioner alleged was being funded by foreign and deep-state elements. The petitioner claimed that the organisation was involved in activities that could threaten India’s sovereignty, integrity and national security.
The PIL further alleged that various social media accounts operating on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal Messenger, Twitter and other intermediaries were being used to spread anti-national content and influence India’s youth.
The petitioner requested the Court to direct authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation and to block or shut down such social media accounts.
During the hearing, the Court examined the maintainability of the petition and noted that the petitioner himself had disclosed in the cause title and affidavit that he was a permanent resident of Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The Bench observed that the issues raised in the PIL were of national importance and did not have any specific connection with the State of Uttar Pradesh.
The Court observed that since the petitioner was a resident of Bengaluru and the grievances raised did not relate specifically to Uttar Pradesh, he ought to have approached the Karnataka High Court if he wished to pursue the matter.
The Bench found no territorial nexus that would justify the filing of the petition before the Allahabad High Court.
Dipke, who was earlier linked with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), launched the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) amid controversy over remarks attributed to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, referring to “cockroaches” and “parasites” during a hearing on May 15 related to senior designation for a lawyer.
Earlier, On May 16, the CJI issued a strongly worded clarification, stating he was “pained” by media reports that indicated he had criticised the youth.
The CJI clarified that his remarks were directed specifically at individuals entering the legal profession through fake and bogus degrees and noted that they were misquoted by a section of the media.
Meanwhile, the original X handle of the CJP was withheld in India on May 21.
The group subsequently returned with a new handle, ‘Cockroach is Back’, which currently has over 2,27,000 followers.
The movement has drawn attention for its unusual symbolism and its approach to digital mobilisation, with supporters describing the “cockroach” identity as a form of protest.
Launched on May 16, the CJP says it aims to build an independent, youth-led movement to amplify young people’s concerns and hold the government accountable.
It has also initiated a campaign seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged systemic failures in the education sector, along with concerns about the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.