The Delhi court, led by Judicial Magistrate Rahul Jain, handed down bailable warrants against YouTuber Dhruv Rathee on Saturday, citing a 2018 defamation case filed by Vikas Pandey, a BJP IT Cell member.
The complainant claimed that Rathee’s video contained slanderous remarks, a claim that prompted a process server to attempt service on Rathee’s residence in Gurugram, only to find the house locked.
Rathee, who usually lives in Austria and has recently travelled to India for the Cockroach Janata Party’s protests in Delhi, was initially summoned in July 2019, but the summons had not been served for years.
In the court’s order, the summons was redirected to Rathee’s Gurugram address, and the case was slated for further proceedings on October 31. The fresh summons was issued on October 12, marking the first formal attempt to bring Rathee before the court.
The case underscores the growing legal scrutiny faced by online commentators in India, where defamation suits are increasingly used to curb political dissent. The court’s decision to issue bailable warrants signals a swift move to ensure Rathee’s appearance, with the next hearing set for the end of October.