'Not detained, I was kidnapped': Dhruv Rathee after late-night release; says no undertaking given to Gurugram Police

Dhruv Rathee was detained at around 9.30 am on Saturday at his home in Gurugram, ahead of the CJP's planned protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar. YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who was apprehended by Gurugram Police before he was expected to join the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) proposed protest at Jantar Mantar, said in a video statement on Sunday that he was “kidnapped”, hours after he was released late on Saturday.YouTuber Dhruv Rathee during the 'people's tribunal' protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, at Freedom Park in Bengaluru. (PTI)Rathee, in a post on X, also refuted reports that he had given an undertaking to Gurugram Police. “I was not arrested or detained, I was KIDNAPPED,” he captioned an Instagram post.According to officials, Rathee was released at 3 am and handed over to his family. He was detained at around 9.30 am on Saturday at his home in Kendriya Vihar Society, Sector 56, Gurugram, ahead of the CJP's planned protest against chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, which authorities later thwarted.Dhruv Rathee's video statementIn the video statement, Rathee showed what he said was his Indian passport and criticised reports claiming that he was a foreign citizen seeking to participate in the protest. “I am an Indian citizen, and I have the same rights as a common citizen.”He alleged that on October 10, at around 7 am, while he was sleeping, his mother opened the door because several people were roaming outside. Claiming that they were not police officers but people in plain clothes, he said around 20 people suddenly entered the house.“And before I could react, these people literally kidnap me. I am using the word kidnap here because this is not an arrest,” he said.He said he would have been detained “if I had gone to the protest”, alleging that “goons” were sent without nameplates to “kidnap” him.“They dragged me straight away and took me away. I mean, just imagine how a criminal is taken away. They dragged me from the bedroom. They took me down the stairs. I was badly injured here. There are such wounds all over my body,” he said.Rathee also alleged that he was denied the opportunity to meet his lawyer. He said, “Have you heard of any democratic country where a common citizen who has not broken any law, who has only raised his voice for the truth, for the benefit of the country, who has demanded a better election commission, is taken from the bedroom of his house, kidnapped, his parents are beaten, and then taken away like this?”He said the situation was an “unofficial emergency” and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “turning the country into a dictatorship”.“If this thing can happen to me, then it can happen to you, too. Think about it a little. For now, I am fine.”Rathee also thanked activist Sonam Wangchuk for threatening a hunger strike if the detained people were not released.“And I will keep raising my voice for the country in the same way. No matter how much you try to suppress. Jai Hind.”Dipke, other CJP leaders releasedCJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were released on Sunday after being produced before an executive magistrate. They had been detained at Delhi airport on Saturday ahead of the planned protest at Jantar Mantar.The three leaders were released on the condition that they would not "breach peace" for a year, CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh said.Their detention came amid a major security operation across Delhi on Saturday, during which more than 7,000 protesters were detained at various locations, preventing them from reaching Jantar Mantar.Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More