YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, Detained From Gurugram Home Amid CJP Protest, Released At Night

YouTube activist Dhruv Rathee, who was detained by Delhi Police ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, was released late at night yesterday, a police officer said.

Rathee was detained from his house in Gurugram's Sector 56 yesterday as the police stepped up security across the national capital to prevent protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar for a protest seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities related to the voter roll clean up exercise special intensive revision (SIR).

"He can be detained again or further legal action might be taken if he tries to go to Jantar Mantar despite prohibitory orders," a police officer told news agency PTI.

The CJP, a political satirical group, in a post on X alleged some 50 police personnel in plainclothes came to Rathee's house at 8 am on Saturday and detained him.

Rathee is a supporter of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and a fierce critic of the NDA government.

Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka of the CJP were put under preventive arrest this morning before they were released by an executive magistrate.

Yesterday, over 3,000 protesters including politicians were detained and released later at night. The police created an unprecedented security ring around the national capital to prevent chaos at central Delhi's Jantar Mantar, forcing the protesters to break into several small gatherings across the city.

A big development today is expected to be the special sitting of the Supreme Court to hear a contempt petition against the blanket closure of Delhi metro stations and train services on Saturday. The metro is running this morning, though there is a huge security presence in all the exit and entry gates. There are buses parked nearby to take away detained people.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana had on Friday directed that there should be no complete stoppage of metro services ahead of the protest planned for Saturday.