‘I was kidnapped, not detained’: Dhruv Rathee recounts 23-hour ordeal

Dubai: YouTuber and political activist Dhruv Rathee, who was detained by Delhi Police ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, has alleged that he was “kidnapped” from his home, physically assaulted and denied access to his lawyer during nearly 23 hours in police custody.

Rathee was released late on Saturday night, according to a police officer, but claimed he remained under an “unofficial house arrest”, with his movements being closely monitored.

“I was not arrested or detained, I was KIDNAPPED. Thank you for your support, here’s the full story,” Rathee wrote on X after returning home.

His allegations came amid a sweeping police crackdown on protesters demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

In a video posted on X, Rathee recounted what he described as a frightening ordeal that began at around 7am on Saturday when approximately 20 people allegedly forced their way into his home in Gurugram's Sector 56.

He claimed the men pushed his mother aside before entering his bedroom while he was still asleep.

“Before I could react, these men literally kidnapped me. Yes, I won't say arrest or detention,” Rathee said.

He alleged that the men refused to identify themselves or explain why they had entered his home.

According to Rathee, he suffered injuries as he was dragged downstairs and taken away in a police vehicle without even being allowed to put on his slippers.

He claimed that his phone and those belonging to his parents were confiscated, leaving the family unable to record what had happened.

The CJP, a political satire group, separately alleged on X that around 50 police personnel in plainclothes arrived at Rathee's residence at approximately 8am and detained him.

The differing accounts of the number of personnel involved and the timing of the incident could not be independently verified.

Rathee said he was taken from one police station to another before being confined for approximately 22 to 23 hours.

He alleged that his requests to contact his lawyer were refused and that he was not allowed access to his phone.

“For around 22-23 hours, they kept me confined in the police station,” he said.

Questioning the police action, Rathee asked whether such treatment could be justified in a democratic country.

“Have you ever heard something like this happening in any democratic country?” he asked.

Rathee, a vocal critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and a supporter of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, accused the authorities of attempting to silence political dissent.

“Narendra Modi has turned India into a dictatorship. This is an undeclared Emergency,” he alleged.

He compared the detentions to actions taken during India's Emergency and to practices in North Korea.

The allegations of physical mistreatment, denial of legal access and surveillance have not been independently established.

Rathee also addressed claims circulating about his nationality, displaying his Indian passport in the video to reject suggestions that he held a foreign passport and was therefore ineligible to participate in the protest.

“This is my passport, I was, am, and will be an Indian citizen,” he said.

He described the claims about his citizenship as false and baseless, alleging that they were being circulated to justify the police action against him.

A Delhi Police officer confirmed that Rathee had been released late on Saturday but warned that he could face further action if he attempted to participate in the protest despite restrictions.

“He can be detained again or further legal action might be taken if he tries to go to Jantar Mantar despite prohibitory orders,” the officer told news agency PTI.

Police had stepped up security across the national capital to prevent protesters from gathering at Jantar Mantar, where the CJP had planned a demonstration demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.

The protest organisers have accused the Election Commission of irregularities in the voter roll revision exercise.

Saturday's police operation resulted in the detention of thousands of protesters, including political leaders and activists.

According to one account, more than 3,000 protesters were detained before being released late at night.

Rathee, however, claimed that more than 7,000 people, including political leaders, had been detained. His higher estimate has not been independently verified.

The police established an extensive security cordon around central Delhi, particularly near Jantar Mantar, preventing protesters from reaching the designated demonstration site.

As a result, protesters reportedly broke into smaller groups and held gatherings at several locations across the city.

Three other CJP members — Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka — were also placed under preventive arrest on Sunday morning before being released by an executive magistrate.

Rathee alleged that the three had been detained in circumstances similar to his own.

Rathee said he was physically well after returning home but alleged that he continued to face surveillance and restrictions on his movements.

He described the situation as an “unofficial house arrest”, claiming that the authorities were closely monitoring him.

Addressing Modi directly, Rathee said attempts to intimidate him would not succeed.

“Don't threaten so much that fear disappears,” he said.

“I will keep raising my voice for my country no matter how hard you try to silence me,” he added.