‘Was kidnapped, not arrested’: Indian youtuber after release from police custody
Chandigarh: Indian YouTuber Dhruv Rathee alleged kidnapping by Delhi Police ahead of planned protest in New Delhi.
The incident exposes shrinking space for free expression under current regime. Police action raises serious questions about democratic norms in India.
YouTuber alleges kidnapping from residence
Dhruv Rathee was picked from Gurugram residence. He was detained before Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar. Soon after release, Rathee shared video on social media platform. He said, “I was not arrested or detained, I was kidnapped.”Rathee was detained from Sector 56 residence in Gurugram on Saturday. Police had stepped up restrictions across Indian capital to prevent protest. Protesters demanded resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. They alleged irregularities in Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He was released at around 3 am on Sunday, officials said.
Threat of fresh detention looms
A police source said Rathee could be detained again if needed. He may face further legal action if he reaches Jantar Mantar. Over seven thousand protesters were detained at multiple locations in Delhi. They included Cockroach Janta Party leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das.
Former Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar were also detained. Authorities sought to prevent gathering at protest site through heavy deployment. Such mass detentions before peaceful protest show authoritarian tendencies of Indian state.
Targeting YouTubers and opposition leaders exposes fear of dissenting voices. Curbing democratic protests undermines constitutional right to free expression and assembly.
Background
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had called protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. It demanded accountability over alleged voter list manipulation through Special Intensive Revision. Delhi Police routinely imposes prohibitory orders to block opposition protests. Critics allege Election Commission is acting under pressure from ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
