A Delhi court has issued fresh summons to YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in a defamation case filed in 2018 by Vikas Pandey, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) IT cell, after noting that efforts to serve the summons on the YouTuber had continued for several years.
Judicial Magistrate Rahul Jain of the Saket court passed the order on October 12 following an application by Pandey seeking fresh summons. The matter, originally scheduled for November 20, was taken up earlier at the complainant’s request.
The court noted that Rathee had initially been summoned in July 2019, but the complainant had continued to face difficulties serving him with the court’s notice.
According to submissions made before the court, Rathee, who ordinarily resides in Austria, was in India to participate in protests organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
Advocate Samaksh Sharma, representing Pandey, argued that Rathee’s presence in India provided an opportunity to serve the summons and urged the court to issue fresh directions.
The court ordered fresh summons, including dasti summons, to be issued to Rathee at his Gurugram address in Haryana. Such summons allow the complainant or an authorised person to assist in delivering the court-issued notice. Pandey was also permitted to accompany the official responsible for serving the summons.
The next hearing is scheduled for October 17.
Background of the Defamation Case
Pandey filed the complaint in 2018 over a video published on Rathee’s YouTube channel, alleging that its contents were defamatory. The allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings, and the latest order does not amount to a finding of guilt.
Rathee is also involved in other legal disputes related to his online content. BJP leader Suresh Karamshi Nakhua filed a ₹20-lakh defamation suit against him, alleging that Rathee described him as a “violent and abusive troll” in a video uploaded in July 2024. A court issued summons and notice to Rathee in that case the same month.
In another matter, Amit Sachdeva filed a complaint alleging that a video by Rathee contained objectionable remarks about Hindu deities and Sanatan Dharma. The complaint sought the registration of an FIR under Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Detention Ahead of CJP Protest
On October 10, 2026, Delhi and Gurugram Police reportedly detained Rathee at his residence in Sector 56, Gurugram, ahead of his planned participation in a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar. He was released after approximately 22 hours.
The latest court order relates specifically to the service of summons in the 2018 defamation case. The proceedings are scheduled to resume on October 17.