Published : 11 Oct 2026, 02:25 PM
Updated : 11 Oct 2026, 02:25 PM
Indian YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has alleged that police "kidnapped" him from his home ahead of Saturday's protests in Delhi, disputing the authorities' description of his detention and saying he was held for nearly a day without access to a lawyer.
"I was not arrested or detained, I was KIDNAPPED," Rathee wrote on Instagram after being released late Saturday night, according to Hindustan Times.
In a video shared on social media on Sunday, Rathee claimed that police forcibly took him from his home in Gurugram, near Delhi, without showing an arrest warrant or explaining where he was being taken.
He alleged that officers pushed his mother during the operation and prevented him from contacting a lawyer or using his phone.
Rathee said he was held for around 22 to 23 hours and was not even allowed to put on his slippers before being taken away.
He also claimed that he sustained injuries during the incident.
The Germany-based influencer disputed reports suggesting that he had signed an undertaking before his release, maintaining that he had given no such assurance to police.
The allegations emerged after Rathee was released late Saturday following his detention ahead of a planned demonstration by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi.
Police had sought to prevent him from travelling to the capital to join protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in revisions to India's electoral rolls.
Hindustan Times earlier quoted a senior Gurugram Police official as saying officers had visited Rathee's residence and asked him not to travel to Delhi.
The official said Rathee would be detained if he refused the instructions and attempted to join the demonstration.
Rathee's account challenges the circumstances of that police action, although the authorities have not been reported as responding specifically to his latest allegations.
Rathee, who is based in Germany and has a large social media following, is known for his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. He was among several prominent figures detained during Saturday's crackdown.
Indian media reported that more than 7,000 people were detained across Delhi as police imposed sweeping restrictions to prevent protesters from gathering at Jantar Mantar.
Prominent opposition politicians and CJP leaders, including founder Abhijeet Dipke, have since been released.
The protests centre on allegations that revisions to India's electoral rolls have disenfranchised voters and benefited Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Election Commission and BJP deny wrongdoing.
