Delhi court issues bailable warrants against Dhruv Rathee

Defamation case filed by BJP IT cell member Vikas Pandey

The defamation case was filed by Vikas Sankrityayan, also known as Vikas Pandey, who is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party IT cell. Pandey initiated these proceedings against both Dhruv Rathee and Arvind Kejriwal, who was the Chief Minister of Delhi at the time of the incident.

The legal dispute originates from a video uploaded by Rathee on his YouTube channel in May 2018. In the video, Rathee alleged that members of the BJP IT cell attempted to bribe Pandey to defame him.

The video was retweeted by Arvind Kejriwal, and Pandey filed the defamation case against both Rathee and Kejriwal over the allegations made in the video and its subsequent circulation.

Dhruv Rathee is an Indian influencer and activist recognized for creating YouTube videos concerning social, political, and environmental issues.

Long-standing attempts to serve summons since 2019

The legal struggle to notify Rathee began in July 2019. The complainant, Vikas Sankrityayan, also known as Vikas Pandey, has been attempting to serve him with court summons for several years.

Counsel for the complainant submitted that earlier attempts to serve Rathee remained unsuccessful because he primarily resides abroad. To assist with the process, the court previously granted permission for Pandey to accompany the process server to help execute the summons.

On October 12, 2026, Judicial Magistrate Rahul Jain of the Saket court issued an order for fresh summons to be served at Rathee’s residence in Gurugram, Haryana. The court also allowed an application seeking an early hearing and the issuance of dasti, or by-hand, summons against the YouTuber.

This action followed a plea by the complainant seeking the expeditious service of the court process. The court noted that these fresh summons were issued days before the bailable warrants were eventually ordered. These proceedings relate to a 2018 defamation case linked to a video regarding the BJP IT cell.

Rathee's recent detention and presence in India

Advocate Samaksh Sharma told the court that while Rathee primarily lives in Austria, he is currently staying at a residence in Gurugram.

Delhi Police took Rathee into custody from his home on October 10, 2026, ahead of his planned attendance at a Cockroach Janata Party protest in Delhi.

He was released in the early hours of October 11, 2026.

Rathee released a video statement on October 11, 2026, where he claimed he was kidnapped by police.

Rathee also used the video to display his Indian passport to refute rumors regarding his citizenship.

He alleged that during the incident, his mother was pushed and he was prevented from speaking.

Separate civil suit regarding religious sentiments

Advocate Amita Sachdeva and others filed a separate civil suit against Rathee seeking damages of at least ₹50 lakh.

The suit claims a video titled 'Can Hindus Eat BEEF?' on his channel contained offensive statements about Bhagwan Shri Ram, Sita Maa, and Bhagwan Shri Krishna.

District Judge Mohinder Virat took up the matter on October 14, 2026, and listed the case for consideration on November 5, 2026.

Complainants seek an ex-parte ad-interim injunction to restrain Rathee and Google from hosting or sharing the video.

Next hearing scheduled for October 31

The court has listed the defamation matter for a further hearing on October 31.