Popular YouTuber and social-political commentator Dhruv Rathee was detained by police in Gurugram on the morning of Saturday, October 10, ahead of a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
The Circumstances of the Detentio
Location & Timing: Rathee was staying with his parents in Sector 56, Gurugram. Police teams reportedly gathered outside the premises late Friday night, before entering the residence around 7:48 a.m. on Saturday after family members opened the door.
Custody: He was taken into custody and shifted to an undisclosed location in Gurugram to prevent him from traveling into the national capital.
Preceding Social Media Activity: A day prior to his detention, Rathee had posted a video from Kartavya Path questioning the heavy administrative arrangements, including security deployments, metro station curbs, and transport limitations imposed across parts of Delhi.
The Context: CJP Jantar Mantar Demonstration
Organizers & Cause: The planned mobilization was called by youth-led outfits and political groups, including the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding the resignation and accountability of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities involving electoral roll revisions.
Permission Denied: The Delhi Police denied permission for the Jantar Mantar gathering, citing concerns regarding law and order, traffic congestion, and overall public safety.
Mass Pre-emptive Detentions: Rathee was not the only individual detained. Police conducted preventive detentions of hundreds of activists, student organizers, and opposition leaders across the Delhi-NCR border checkpoints and key transit areas around Connaught Place and Jantar Mantar. Other organizers, including CJP representatives like Ratna Singh, were similarly detained early Saturday morning.
