YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has alleged that he was forcibly taken from his home in Gurugram by police personnel and denied access to his lawyer after being detained ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. In a video posted on Instagram after returning home, Rathee described the incident as “kidnapping” and called the situation in India an “unofficial emergency”.
“I'm an Indian citizen, and I have the same rights as a common citizen,” Rathee said in the video, rejecting claims that his detention was justified because he held a foreign passport, showing he's Indian passport, “This is a complete lie,” he added.
Recounting the events of October 10, Rathee said he was in his bedroom at around 7 am when people entered his home. He alleged that he was taken away before he could react or understand what was happening.
“These people have literally, kidnapped me, while I was in my house,” he said, adding that more than 50 people were present outside his home.
Rathee drew a distinction between arrest, detention and what he alleged had happened to him. “This is not arrest, this is not detention,” he said, arguing that a police officer making an arrest would identify themselves and explain the legal provisions under which a person was being taken into custody.
He further alleged that he was taken down the stairs without being given an opportunity to put on his shoes, and that he suffered pain and had marks on his body. According to Rathee, he was first taken to one police station and then moved to another.
Rathee also alleged that the police took his phone and his parents’ phones, and that he was not allowed to meet his lawyer or access his phone after reaching the police station.
“Have you heard of a democratic country, that a common citizen, who has not broken a law, who has just raised a voice for truth, a voice for country, a better election commission, has been demanded,” he said, questioning the circumstances of his detention.
Calling the situation an “unofficial emergency”, Rathee alleged that the government was curbing the right to dissent.
He also referred to the detention of CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, and claimed that more than 7,000 people had been detained.
Rathee was detained by Delhi Police from his residence in Sector 56, Gurugram, on October 10, ahead of the CJP’s proposed protest at Jantar Mantar. He was released late on Saturday night, PTI reported, citing officials.
The protest was called to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and changes concerning Form 6, which is used for voter registration. Delhi Police had denied permission for the demonstration, citing security concerns and procedural requirements.
The detention took place amid heightened security arrangements and preventive action against people seeking to participate in the protest. The CJP had also confirmed Rathee’s detention in a post on X.
In his video, Rathee urged viewers to consider the implications of restrictions on public dissent, warning that people could eventually be denied the opportunity to raise their voices.
