YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has claimed he was “kidnapped” rather than arrested or detained after being taken into custody by Gurugram Police ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) planned protest at Jantar Mantar.
Rathee was released around 3 am on Sunday, hours after police detained him from his residence in Gurugram’s Sector 56 on Saturday morning. The action came ahead of the CJP’s proposed demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Dhruv Rathee says ‘I was kidnapped’
Following his release, Rathee posted a video statement on social media and rejected the description of the action as a routine detention.
“I was not arrested or detained, I was KIDNAPPED,” Rathee wrote in an Instagram post.
His statement was made hours after he was handed over to his family following his release. The circumstances of his detention have drawn competing accounts from Rathee and the authorities.
Police say detention was preventive
According to police officials, Rathee was detained after he was warned against joining the CJP protest, for which permission had not been granted. Police said prohibitory orders were also in force in Delhi ahead of the proposed gathering.
Around 30 plainclothes police personnel reportedly reached Rathee’s residence in Kendriya Vihar, Sector 56, on Saturday morning and took him into custody. He was subsequently taken to the Crime Branch office in Sector 39, where he remained until his release.
A police officer told news agencies that the action was preventive and intended to avert any untoward incident. Police also indicated that further action could be taken if Rathee attempted to join the Jantar Mantar protest despite prohibitory orders.
Dispute over undertaking
Rathee has also disputed reports that he gave an undertaking to Gurugram Police as a condition for his release.
While some reports said police obtained a bond or undertaking before releasing him, Rathee has said he did not give such an undertaking. NDTV Marathi, however, reported that he was released after furnishing an undertaking, highlighting the conflicting accounts surrounding the release.
The distinction is significant because the Delhi Police has separately cited an earlier undertaking signed by the CJP during its June-July protest while explaining why permission was denied for the latest Jantar Mantar demonstration.
CJP protest triggers major security crackdown
The detention of Rathee came amid a major security operation in Delhi to prevent protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were also detained after arriving in Delhi. Several opposition leaders and other protesters were detained at different locations as authorities enforced restrictions around the proposed demonstration.
The CJP has demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise. The allegations are political claims and have not been established as fact.
The protest was ultimately prevented from taking place at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, with the CJP renewing its call for demonstrations on Sunday.
Rathee’s release and his subsequent “kidnapped” claim have added another flashpoint to the growing dispute over the authorities’ handling of the CJP protests.
