A long-pending defamation case against YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has taken a fresh turn, with a Delhi court issuing bailable warrants after an earlier attempt to serve him with summons reportedly failed. The case stems from a complaint filed by Vikas Sanskrityayan over Rathee’s 2018 video, ‘BJP IT Cell Part II’. The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 31.
A Delhi court on Saturday issued bailable warrants against YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in connection with the defamation complaint filed over a video published on his YouTube channel in 2018. Judicial Magistrate First Class Rahul Jain, presiding over the South East district court, issued the warrants after being informed that Rathee’s residence was found locked when officials attempted to serve an earlier summons.
The court’s decision marks another development in a case that has remained pending for several years. However, the issuance of a warrant is a procedural step and does not establish the allegations made against the YouTuber. A detailed court order is awaited, and the matter has been listed for further proceedings on October 31.
What is the defamation case about?
The complaint was filed by Vikas Sanskrityayan over Rathee’s video titled ‘BJP IT Cell Part II’. According to the complainant, the video contained allegations that were false and defamatory and were subsequently published and circulated by Rathee.
The allegations are part of the complainant’s case and have not been established merely by the court’s issuance of warrants. The proceedings will determine how the complaint is dealt with under the law.
The court had issued fresh summons to Rathee on October 12 after the complainant sought an earlier hearing date. The matter had previously been scheduled for November 20. The application for preponement cited Rathee’s reported presence in India in connection with protests concerning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Advocate Samaksh Sharma, representing Sanskrityayan, submitted that Rathee ordinarily resided abroad and had travelled to India to participate in the protests associated with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). According to reports, the court was also informed that Rathee had originally been summoned in the case in 2019.
Following the October 12 order, the fresh summons were directed to be served at Rathee’s residence in Gurugram, Haryana. The subsequent report that the house was locked led to the issuance of bailable warrants on Saturday.
The next stage of the proceedings
With the next hearing fixed for October 31, further proceedings are expected to clarify the status of service and the steps required to advance the case. Until the court examines the complaint and reaches a determination, the allegations against Rathee remain allegations rather than established findings.
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