Dhruv Rathee 2018 Defamation Case: A Delhi court has issued a fresh bailable warrant against YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in a criminal defamation case filed in 2018. The order was passed by Judicial Magistrate First Class Rahul Jain at Saket Court on Saturday, October 31, after Rathee failed to appear before the court.
The court has directed that the new warrant be sent to Rathee’s Gurugram address. The case has now been listed for the next hearing on November 23, 2026, according to reports by Hindustan Times and PTI.
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During the hearing, advocate Samaksh Sharma, who appeared for complainant Vikas Sankrityayan alias Vikas Pandey, told the court that Rathee usually lives in Germany. He had recently come to India to attend the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) demonstrations in Delhi but had since left the country.
Why Did The Court Issue A Fresh Warrant Against Dhruv Rathee?
The court had earlier issued a bailable warrant on October 17 after a process server reported that Rathee’s Gurugram residence was locked when he went there to serve the summons. However, that warrant also couldn’t be carried out because it was sent to an incorrect address in Austria instead of his Gurugram address.
The court was earlier informed that attempts to serve Rathee had continued for several years. The first summons in the case was issued in July 2019. The complainant had also requested fresh summons and steps to speed up the process.
On October 12, the court had allowed the complainant to accompany the process server so that the notice could be delivered.
What Is The 2018 Defamation Case About?
The case was filed by Vikas Pandey over a YouTube video titled ‘BJP IT Cell Part 2’, which Rathee uploaded on May 6, 2018.
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In the video, Rathee made allegations about Pandey’s links with the BJP IT Cell. It also claimed that Pandey had offered a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to a person named Mahavir Prasad through another person, Abhishek Mishra. Pandey claimed that these statements were false and damaged his public image. He then approached the court with a criminal defamation complaint.
The video was also shared on social media by then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Pandey had filed a separate defamation case against him as well. In February 2024, Kejriwal told the Supreme Court that sharing the video was a mistake. The proceedings against him were later stayed by the apex court. The original case against Rathee is still pending.
