Delhi Court Issues Fresh Summons to Dhruv Rathee in 2018 Defamation Case

A Delhi court has issued a fresh summons to YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in a defamation case dating back to 2018, noting repeated attempts to serve him over the years and his presence in India for the ongoing Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protests in the national capital.

Judicial Magistrate Rahul Jain, in an order dated October 12, directed that the fresh summons be issued to Rathee at his address in Gurugram, Haryana. The court was hearing an application filed by Vikas Pandey, a member of the BJP’s IT Cell, seeking another attempt to serve the YouTuber.

Appearing for Pandey, advocate Samaksh Sharma told the court that Rathee ordinarily resides in Austria, where he has reportedly been living for the past seven years, but had travelled to India to participate in the CJP protests in Delhi. The lawyer argued that issuing a fresh summons would allow prompt steps to be taken to serve him while he was in the country.

The court observed that the complainant had been trying to serve Rathee for several years. It also noted that Rathee had initially been summoned in July 2019, nearly a year after the complaint was filed.

The case originated in 2018, when Pandey approached the court after Rathee uploaded a video about him on his YouTube channel. The latest order concerns the issuance and service of the summons; it does not establish the truth of the allegations or determine Rathee’s liability.

Rathee’s reported presence in India comes amid protests organised by the CJP, which have drawn attention to demonstrations and political opposition in Delhi. The fresh summons adds a legal development to the YouTuber’s visit, although the court order does not suggest that his participation in the protests is connected to the original defamation allegations.

The next stage will depend on the service of the summons and subsequent proceedings in the case.