Gurugram Police detained YouTuber Dhruv Rathee at his residence on Saturday morning, according to a report by Navbharat Times, shortly before a proposed protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over a demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
The reported detention came as authorities prepared for the protest organised by the Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP. The event was scheduled to take place in Delhi on October 10. The report said Rathee had travelled to Delhi to participate in the demonstration and was taken into custody from his home in Gurugram before the gathering.
The action followed a video Rathee shared on Instagram on Friday, in which he questioned the security and transport arrangements put in place in the national capital ahead of the protest. According to the report, he alleged that more than 50 metro stations had been closed, trains stopped, buses cancelled and mobile internet services temporarily suspended in parts of central Delhi.
In the video, Rathee said the restrictions had created an atmosphere resembling a lockdown because of the proposed protest. He also questioned the need for such extensive measures, while referring to social-media claims linked to the Bharatiya Janata Party that the demonstration would attract a small crowd. The report did not provide a police explanation for the detention or details of any case registered against him.
The reported restrictions have an immediate urban mobility impact because they affect several modes used to enter and move through central Delhi. Metro closures, train cancellations and bus disruptions can shift demand to already congested roads and make access more difficult for commuters, residents and protest participants. The report did not specify the names of the stations, train services or bus routes affected, the duration of the restrictions, or the exact areas where mobile internet services were suspended.
The detention also followed a separate protest in Bengaluru on October 8 against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Rathee attended the demonstration at Freedom Park along with actor-activist Prakash Raj and others, the report said. During the protest, Rathee criticised the Election Commission and alleged a lack of transparency and accountability in the revision process.
On October 9, former Indian Police Service officer and former Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao wrote to the Union Home Secretary seeking an inquiry into Rathee’s citizenship, visa and immigration status. The report said Rao referred to the understanding that Rathee holds German citizenship and sought examination of his passport, visa category, purpose of entry into India, authorised period of stay and compliance with immigration laws.
The Navbharat Times report did not state whether the Home Ministry had initiated an inquiry, whether Rathee had been released, or whether Gurugram Police had issued a formal statement on the detention. It also did not establish whether the reported security and transport restrictions were ordered specifically because of the Jantar Mantar protest or under a wider security plan for central Delhi.
